Strong Enough
by Muse2488
Summary: Kaliyah Miller never really wanted to move to New York City, it was a harsh place that offered little kindness to its citizens. The city also seems to think she's a magnet for trouble, until she meets four guys that turn her whole life upside down. What will the four brothers think of this fiesty, hot tempered Texan? NOT a romance fic. Rated for violence and slight language.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Alrighty guys! This is another multi-chapter fic! Huzzah! It's got an OC, but let me tell you that this is NOT a romance story. So if that's your thing, this may not be the fic for you. However, if you love fics that star super sarcastic, totally badass, hilariously funny, awesomely great OC's then this is most deff the fic for you! Please give it a chance and let me know what you think! I'm really proud of this and I hope y'all like it! =]]**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of TMNT. Sigh and moan…and then sigh again…maybe an extra moan as well since I'm feeling particularly petulant. **

Chapter 1: Can't Ever Seem To Catch A Break.

_Friggin' figures this would happen._ She thought to herself as she ran down the alleyway. _Why did I run down this way?_

She could hear her pursuers' right behind her, taunting and cat calling her. It was disgusting.

"Why ya runnin' away sweetheart? We just wanna play wit ya a bit!" One of them yelled. She rolled her eyes and willed her legs to run faster. She had already been at it for over fifteen minutes. She just couldn't seem to shake them. She thought they'd get bored eventually, but no dice; they were just as interested when they first started after her. She was getting tired. She used to run track in high school, but that was two years ago and she wasn't as fast as she used to be.

"Yer gonna get tired sooner or lata gorgeous, might as well give it up." Another one called after her.

"Screw you!" She threw over her shoulder. She winced, that wasn't exactly the greatest thing she could've said to them.

They cackled. "That's the idea sweetheart!"

Again, regrettable choice of words. She booked it towards another dark alley, trying to lose them in the shadows. Luckily it was night now and the back alleys were pitch black. She ducked underneath a low hanging first story balcony and pressed herself tightly against the wall, clamping a hand over her mouth to stifle her heavy breathing. She heard them run by, still calling after her. She waited a few minutes before she slinked away, going the other direction and towards the busy streets. The busier the street the less amount of crime.

Her feet were killing her now of course. She eased her high heels off and saw that she had more than likely broken two of her toes, and the heel of both of her feet were cracked open and bleeding.

"Fabulous." She muttered to herself. She slowly put her shoes back on and hissed in pain as she made her way back to Main Street. Her apartment was a good twenty blocks down the road, and though she normally loved the walk she knew she was going to have to get a taxi. Straightening her dress and running her fingers through her hair she hailed for a taxi.

"Another long night Kaliyah?"

Kallie looked up and smiled. "I didn't know you were working tonight Sam."

The older man laughed. "I'm always working kid."

"I can see that." She replied with a smile.

"So where to?" He asked.

"Home please." Kallie groaned.

"Long night?" He asked.

"You could say that." She murmured.

"Well, home it is then Kaliyah."

"Ugh…Sam, how many times do I have to tell you? It's Kallie. I hate my full name." She told him putting a hand over her face.

Sam chuckled. "Why do you think I do it kid?"

Kallie couldn't help but roll her eyes and grin. Sam was a man somewhere in his 50s with graying hair and kind brown eyes. Sam had known Kallie for about five years now; he lived in the apartment across the hall from her families when they first moved here her Freshman year of high school. He was a taxi driver then too, and now that Kallie was an adult and living on her own, he seemed to still be able to track her down and pick her up whenever she hailed a taxi. She had her suspicions that he was trying to watch out for her. It was comforting and sweet, but also slightly annoying.

"How's your mama doing?" He asked.

"Fine I guess." She replied with a shrug.

"She misses you."

Kallie snorted. "Sure she does."

"Kaliyah." Sam chastised.

"Sam, I love ya like a father, but I'm not in the mood for a talk about my mom tonight. I really just wanna go to bed." Kallie sighed.

"Alright, alright. Just thought you'd wanna know she's thinking about you." Sam said gently.

"Thanks." She murmured.

The rest of the ride Sam chatted idly about how his week had gone and how his wife was feeling better after a bout with the flu. Kallie talked to him about her job and college, but before she knew it he was pulling up to her apartment building.

"Take care of yourself kid." He called through the window.

Kallie smiled. "Always."

She turned and made her way to the elevator, pushing the third floor button and then stepping off. Luckily her apartment was only a few steps from the elevator and she quickly made it into her apartment. She eased her heels off again and winced as pain shot through her feet.

"Son of a bitch!" She cried out as she stepped barefoot across the linoleum floor of the kitchen. She didn't want to bleed on her carpet so she reached for a few dish tails and made a small path from the kitchen to the bathroom where her first aid kit was. She cleaned her heels, trying not to scream and curse, and then wrapped her two broken toes together to let them heal properly. She'd broken more toes in her life than she cared to count so she already knew how to fix them. She wasn't going to be able to pull off heels for a few days, her boss at The Duplex wasn't gonna be too happy.

Kallie was a music major at NYU. She had gotten a scholarship that covered a lot of her schooling as long as her grades stayed high, but it still wasn't enough to cover everything so Kallie had to work. She had two jobs; first she was a tutor at NYU for English and Music, second she sang at The Duplex three nights a week. The Duplex was a piano bar in Manhattan, it was actually a pretty nice place and she enjoyed it there a lot. She wasn't old enough to drink, let alone be in the bar, but the owners looked the other way because of how talented and popular she was. The down side was that she had to dress to the nines; which meant short dresses, high heels, big hair, and lots of makeup. But broken toes and heels did not mesh well.

And this was the third time in two months that she had broken some part of her foot running from disgusting creeps. They seemed to come to her like moths to a flame. She couldn't understand it, she didn't sing at some seedy bar where men like that were just waiting for her. She worked in a decent part of town that required a bit of money in order to drink and enjoy the entertainment. How these creeps kept finding her, she would never know. The sucky thing was that she was due to sing again tomorrow night. Kenny wanted her to wear something extra nice since his boss was going to be there. Kallie winced. She was going to just have to grin and bear it, there was no way she could let Kenny down tomorrow. Kallie dragged herself to bed and hoped that some of the swelling would be down by the time she woke up.

OoOoOoO

The next day Kallie's toes weren't nearly as swollen, but they were still sore. It was Sunday though, which meant no classes! A lazy day was most definitely calling her name, but no such luck, there was too much she needed to do first. Her songs were the first thing she needed to work on, so after grabbing a cup of coffee she tied her long blonde hair into a loose bun and made her way to the piano. She played for a few hours, tweaking notes here and there before she finally decided to shower and get ready for the day. She had promised to go over her song list with Kenny before she performed tonight and she had a few errands to run before then. She showered quickly and changed into a pair of jeans and a loose hoodie, it was getting chilly; the crisp November making its presence known. She grabbed the dark brown lacey dress and matching heels she planned on wearing tonight and made her way to the subway. After dropping off her dress at The Duplex she walked downtown to run a few errands. She deposited her check in the bank first, stopped at the bookstore to buy a new book, then made her way to her favorite small boutique shop; Ina. She purchased a gorgeous cream colored flower hair pin that would match her outfit perfectly. She stocked up on her makeup supply as well and then made her way back to The Duplex. It was nearing 7 and she was due on stage at 7:45.

"Hey Kenny." She called to her boss. Kenny was a nice older guy, probably in his 40s but he tried to act as if he was in his 20s. He was super tall, although it didn't take much to be taller than Kallie since she was barely 5'2, and he had dark brown hair that was graying slightly in the corners, he had a mustache as well that Kaliyah had tried to convince him to shave off since it made him look like a creeper.

"You're cutting it close Kallie." He told her.

"Had a few errands to run, sorry." She told him.

Kenny scowled at her slightly before waving her off. "Off with you. You've got three songs tonight. The list you left me is great, but I think you should sing The Call."

Kallie gaped at him. "What?"

It was common knowledge that Kenny _hated_ Regina Spektor; and she was one of Kallie's absolute favorite singers of all time. She had been begging Kenny to allow her to sing something of hers for ages, but he wouldn't budge.

"The Call. Sing it tonight."

"Really?!" She shrieked

Kenny sighed. "Yes really. Now hurry and get ready before I change my mind."

She resisted the urge to hug him as she squealed and made her way backstage to get ready. It always took her forever to get ready. Her hair was naturally curly and never wanted to cooperate with her. She straightened it tonight, parting it to the side and sliding her new hair pin in. She applied the necessary makeup and then slipped into her dress and heels. She winced as her broken toes protested the confined space. She waited around, going through her vocal warm ups before she finally heard her name called. She took a deep breath and walked on stage.

"Hello everyone!" She said enthusiastically. There was a chorus of hellos and she grinned wider.

"Some of y'all know me. But for those who don't, my name is Kallie."

Applause sounded throughout the room and she nodded to the piano man. He started playing and soon she was completely lost in the music. The first song she sang was Trouble. She followed that with Faithfully. And ended the night with The Call. It was perhaps her best performance yet. The crowd absolutely _loved_ The Call. She couldn't help but smile smugly at Kenny. He rolled his eyes but gave her a grin, unable to help himself. Kallie spent the rest of the evening chatting with the audience members and graciously accepting their praise. It was a great night.

"Great job darling." Kenny said as he kissed her cheeks.

"Thank you so much for letting me sing The Call. I really appreciate it." She told him.

He smiled at her. "You've been doing so well; I figured you could use a reward."

"Well, thanks." She repeated.

"Go home. Be safe." He told her.

Kallie waved and made her way outside. It was a cold night and of course she had forgotten her hoodie at The Duplex. She wrapped her arms around her bare shoulders and picked up the pace as much as she could. She decided to take the subway home instead of hailing for a taxi at midnight on a Saturday. It would take her much longer to do that than just to take the subway. Her foot was still in quite some pain as she eased her way down the stairs. It was kinda empty, only a few people waiting on the other end of the subway. Kallie gripped her bag closer to her body, trying to use it for warmth when she felt something press against her lower back.

"Don't move a muscle." A deep voice whispered in her ear.

Kallie froze, her entire body tensing.

"Told ya we'd catch up to ya eventually." He whispered against her neck. It sent chills down her spine.

"Now, yer gonna move nice an' slow. Ya scream and yer dead, understand?" The man asked.

Kallie nodded, too scared to speak. He pushed the gun harder into her back and she moved forward. He led her towards an empty corner and she heard more than just their footsteps. He had brought friends. She could hear them snickering and whispering about what they were gonna do to her. She gulped and tried to think of a way out of this.

They finally made it to the empty corner. There was a long alley that led to nowhere and as far as she could tell, no one could see them. There were three of them. Two really tall ones, one rather shorter. The two tall ones had these purple dragon tattoos on their arms, the shorter one hand one crawling up his neck. The tall one with the beanie on his head roughly pushed her against the wall. His face rubbing against hers as he grabbed her wrists and shoved them over her head.

"M'gonna enjoy this sweetheart." The creep whispered.

Kallie knew it was now or never so she brought up her knee and slammed it into his groin and then wrenching her arms out of his grasp, he kneeled over and tried to grab at her but she smashed the heel of her hand into his nose and she booked it. Unfortunately there was nowhere to run.

"Bitch!" The guy yelled as he scrambled back to his feet and shoved her against the wall again, this time his two friends holding each of her hands down. He reared his arm back and smacked her in the face, her head cracking hard against the brick wall. The hit sent her reeling, seeing stars. She tasted blood and her she went limp as her knees buckled. She knew that they were going to hurt her now and there was nothing she could do about it. But then there was a whooshing sound and shadows filled the corner.

The three creeps were suddenly grunting in pain as she heard something hard constantly connecting with their flesh. She slid down the wall, her vision fuzzy and her head swimming. She saw her three attacker's unconscious on the ground as the pain finally overcame her and she closed her eyes as her head lolled to the side.

"Think she's gonna be okay?" She heard a voice ask. It sounded like a guy…a young guy…maybe her age or younger.

"I dunno, she got hit kinda hard." A rougher, Brooklyn accented voice said.

Kallie tried to open her eyes again but she couldn't, and her head wasn't helping much, it too was feeling much too heavy.

"We need to go guys, the cops will be here soon." Another voice added.

"Leo, we can't just leave her!" That younger voice protested.

"Whadda think Donnie?" The rough voice asked.

"I dunno…I can't tell too much. That punch was kinda hard and I'm worried about the possibility of a concussion. If that's the case she needs to be watched over night." Another voice said. So far she knew there were four people around her.

Kallie groaned as she felt gentle prodding along her temple. She lifted her hands to try and swat the offending hands away from her, but she barely lifted her hands off the ground.

"She's conscious, barely, but conscious." The fourth voice replied.

"Call Casey or Ape, see if they can't take her to a hospital or somethin'." The accented voice said.

"They're on a delivery."

"We can just let the cops get her or call an ambulance."

"That's actually a good idea Mikey."

"Who knew he could use his brain?"

"Hey! I was my brain all the time!"

Kallie tried again to talk, to make some kind of noise to let her rescuers know she was going to be fine, she didn't need a hospital, she just needed to go home.

"Uh guys…we may have a problem."

"What?"

"She's bleeding from her head, we need to get it stopped now."

"What do we do Don?" The young voice asked.

"I need her back in the lab. If I don't stop the bleeding soon she's going to be in serious trouble."

Kallie groaned again and moved her head slightly. Sure enough, she could feel warm wetness seep into her shirt.

"Master Splinter isn't going to like this." The first voice said.

"Help me get her." The young voice said.

"I got her Mikey. Ya wanna get her bag?" The rough voice asked.

"Got it! Dudes, doesn't this seem familiar? Damsel in distress, us coming to the rescue, and Raph carrying what looks like a dead girl back to the lair…ah…memories."

A smacking sound was heard and an indignant 'Ow' was heard next. Kallie felt herself being lifted into the air, strong arms supporting her weight. Kallie could still hear the voices conversing with one another but soon she drifted into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed/favorited/followed! I really appreciate it! Y'all rock out loud! Just sayin'! Please let me know what you think about this chapter as well! =]]**

**Disclaimer: Nothing green belongs to me. Kaliyah does though, and I'm kinda proud of her. =]]**

Chapter 2: You Have Got To Be Kidding Me.

_Ugh…my head…_Kallie thought as she felt a painful throb in the back of her head. _What the hell happened…? I don't really remember…I know the show went really well…Kenny was pleased and told me to go home…I took the subway…Oh…OH! Those creeps! They cornered me and hit me! I got away though…how did I get away?...I remember voices…three voices…no, no four voices…something about going to a lair? And I'm pretty sure they said 'Master Splinter.' What the heck was a Master Splinter? And why am I lying on something lumpy? My bed isn't this lumpy…neither is my couch…I'm not at home…where the hell am I?!_

Kallie struggled to wake up, her eyes refusing to cooperate, but she was stubborn and continued to fight to wake up.

"Hey, easy there." She heard a voice say to her.

"Maybe we should try Casey and April again. She's just gonna freak when she wakes up." Another voice said.

"They're not answerin' Mike, how many times I gotta tell ya that?" A rough voice growled.

"Not much we can do about it now guys, just…try to look, I dunno, not scary?"

The rough voice snorted. "Kinda hard with an ugly mug like Mikey's."

"Hey!"

_This is getting annoying, c'mon Kaliyah just wake up already! _She chastised herself, using her full name to make herself angry. Finally her eyes cooperated with her and she opened them. At first, colors swam before her and her vision was blurry. She tried to sit up but was pushed back down against the bed.

"You need to stay down until you can see properly." She was told.

_How did he know she couldn't see properly?_ Kallie thought to herself as she closed her eyes again, opening them slowly and almost sighing relief as her vision was now cleared. The first sight to greet her was a high ceiling composed of cinderblock. She could hear the whirring of electronics and a beeping noise. She looked around the room and it was empty, which was weird because she could've sworn she heard people! However, the only thing she could see now was the room she was in. There were a tower of monitors in the corner with a computer chair in front of it, there were cupboards on the other side full of what looked to be pill bottles and other medical paraphernalia. She noticed now she was lying on some kind of medical looking bed. This looked like a lab of some sort with all the mechanical junk lying around, but then again on the other side looked like a mini-emergency room.

Weird.

"H-Hello?" She called out, wincing at how hoarse she sounded.

There was no answer.

"Uh…is there anyone here?" She called out again, her voice stronger now.

There was a shuffling noise and someone said 'Ow' before she heard 'You're standing on my foot!' She furrowed her brow in confusion and decided to go check things out for herself. Kallie swung her legs around and stood, only to get extremely dizzy. Her knees buckled and she reached out to grab the edge of the bed, but her hands slipped and she fell.

Before she could eat the floor though, she was caught at the waist. She cried out at as her head throbbed painfully from the sudden stop. She was looking at a green foot…what a sec…a green foot? What the hell?! She was being deposited back on the bed when she was greeted with four worried expressions.

Except they weren't expressions on _people's_ faces.

The worried expressions were on green faces. _Green_ faces. Standing before her were four very large, very green looking turtle type creatures. Each one had a different color bandana covering their eyes; blue, red, purple, and orange. They had elbow and knee pads on as well as cloth belts around their waists. They looked like they were some kind of…martial artists or something. They were shifting uncomfortably and staring at her as if they were worried she was about to scream her head off and try to hurt them. In all honesty she was panicking a bit. This was either a really bad dream or some drug induced hallucination that one of the audience members may have slipped into her drink at The Duplex. She didn't even wanna think about the third option; that this was all somehow really happening. But if the pain in her head was any indication, this was _indeed_ really happening. She took a deep shaky breath and leaned her head back against the pillows, closing her eyes.

"Uh…you okay lady?" The young voice asked again.

Kallie groaned and raised a hand to gingerly touch the back of her head. She winced, hissing in pain as it throbbed painfully.

"Try not to touch that. It was all I could do to stop the bleeding."

Kallie kept her eyes closed and let her hand drop back to her side. "Where am I?" She finally asked.

"Um, you're at our home." A cautious voice answered.

Kallie wasn't really ready to open her eyes again, but she didn't really have a choice in the matter. She steeled her nerves and slowly opened her eyes yet again. There were still four giant turtles staring at her.

Oh yeah. She'd gone officially crazy.

"And where exactly would 'home' be for you?" She asked.

"Down in the sewers." The orange banded one answered.

"Of course it is. I'm down in the sewers, conversing with four giant talking turtles. This is exactly how I pictured my night." Kallie said. She sat straight up again and looked at all four of them. Trying to let this sink in. She knew she should be screaming and frantically trying to get out of there. But for some reason she didn't. These turtles couldn't be that bad considering they had saved her life, brought her here, and taken care of her head.

"Are you feeling okay?" The purple banded one asked.

"Ask me again in a few weeks, I'm sure my therapist will have an answer for you." Kallie replied dryly.

The orange one laughed and the red one smacked him in the back of his head. "What? That was funny!" Orange protested.

"You're…reacting…strangely…" The blue banded one said carefully.

Kallie snorted. "You're a man sized walking and talking turtle and you're calling _me_ strange?"

Orange laughed again and even the red banded one barely contained a smirk. The blue one narrowed his eyes at me, fixing me with a stern glare. I had a feeling he did that a lot.

"What were yer doin' out that late at night on yer own?" The red one demanded suddenly, a bit angry sounding.

Kallie felt her own temper flare. _Who does this guy-er turtle- think he is?_ "I'm an adult thank you very much, I can walk to and from the subway after work perfectly well on my own!"

"Yer what, 19?" He asked.

"I'm 20, not that it's any of your business." Kallie told him.

"Raph, ease up." The blue one said.

"Just tryin' to figure out what this chick was thinkin' is all." He replied with a shrug.

"I was on my way home when those jackasses attacked me." She told him.

"Have they tried anything like that before?" The blue one asked.

She nodded. "Almost every time I leave from work."

"Where do you work?" He asked.

She looked at him with slight distrust. If living in New York had taught her anything, it was never to trust people.

The blue one seemed to notice her hesitation. "If we wanted to hurt you we would've done it by now don't you think?"

She scowled slightly at him. "How should I know? This could be all part of y'alls master plan of kidnapping me and asking for ransom. Hate to break it to ya though, I'm broke. I spend all my money on rent and bills and then whatever I have left goes straight into NYU's bank account for sheet music and instruments." She wasn't exactly lying. She had a ton of money saved up from what her dad had left her, but she didn't touch that money. Her mom was still working as marketing director for Macy's but they didn't talk much, besides, her mom probably wouldn't even care if she was being held for ransom. It's not like she ever cared before.

The purple on smiled kindly at her. "We just want to make sure you're okay. Do you mind if I check your head out?"

Kallie looked apprehensive but then nodded. The purple one smiled at her again and grabbed a clipboard as he walked around her. He grabbed a flashlight and shined it in her eyes. She winced at its brightness but tried to be still and allow him to check her health. He made a few notes before gently prodding her head, checking for sore spots. When he got to the back she winced and jerked her head in the opposite direction.

"Sorry." He apologized before resuming his poking and prodding.

"Well, you don't have a concussion, which is really good. That was a big concern for a while. You're gonna have quite a headache for the next few days though. We have some butterfly stitches on the cut on the back of your head. You need to be careful with operating any kind of heave machinery and probably take the rest of the day easy. Some ibuprofen would do you good, but something stronger might be more prudent." The purple one told her.

"Are you some kind of doctor?" She asked.

The purple one shook his head. "Not exactly."

"So what happens now?" She asked.

"Well, I think it's time you got home. We'll help you get there." The blue one said.

"You're just letting me go?" She asked.

The red one snorted. "Whadja think was gonna happen?"

Kallie scowled at him. "How the hell should I know? Y'all are the ones that brought me here!"

"We're not gonna hurt you." Orange said.

"So y'all really did this out of the kindness of your heart?" Kallie asked skeptically.

Three heads nodded while the one in red just rolled his eyes.

"What, people can't do nice things?" Purple asked.

"Not without wanting something in return." Kallie answered seriously. Blues' eye's softened, as did reds'.

"Who taught ya that?" Red asked.

Kallie snorted. "New York City."

"Well, not everyone in New York City works like that." Blue said.

Kallie still looked slightly skeptical. "What makes you think I won't blab to everyone I know that you guys exist?"

The four of them laughed for a moment before Orange wiped a stray tear from his eye.

"And who do you think will believe you?" Orange asked.

"Besides, I don't think you'll say anything…" Purple added.

Kallie tilted her head. "Why do you think that?"

"Because you're not one of those people who can't do nice things without something in return." Purple stated.

Kallie just looked at him before smiling slightly. Purple smiled back at her.

"So where do you live?" Orange asked.

"I have an apartment that's not too far from Central Park. It's on 2nd Avenue." Kallie told them.

"Alright, well let's get going!" Orange said enthusiastically.

"If y'all could just show me the way out I'm sure I can make it home on my own." Kallie tried to assure them, standing to her feet but swaying slightly as her head protested the quick movement. Purple grasped her elbow and helped steady her. She blushed deeply as she noticed she was still wearing her short dress. She instantly tried to make it cover her knees, but it didn't work.

"Humor us." He told her with a smile.

Kallie opened her mouth to argue, but then closed it. She didn't want to seem ungrateful for all the things they'd just done for her.

"Alright." She conceded, still embarrassed at how skanky she was dressed.

"Should we tell Master Splinter?" Orange asked.

"He knows already. We'll be back soon anyways." Blue answered.

The five of them made their way out of the lab and into the sewers. They stayed on the side in order not to get wet.

"So what's your name?" Orange asked as they walked.

"Uh…Kaliyah Miller, but please call me Kallie." She told him.

"That's an interesting name. Where's it from?" Purple asked.

"My mother's crazy imagination." Kallie answered with a bit of disdain in her voice.

Orange laughed. "Not a fan of your first name?"

"No. I hate it. My mom thought she was being creative. Only my family uses it and that's mainly when I'm in some kind of trouble or getting lectured for some reason. And of course whenever co-workers wanna annoy me they use it too."

"Sounds kinda like us. Oh the power of the first name when we're in trouble." Orange said with a mock shudder.

Purple and blue laughed.

"You're only afraid of it because it's used so often." Blue said slyly.

"Hey! I'm not in trouble _that_ much!" Orange protested.

The other three snorted.

"You were in trouble earlier today for taping that blow horn to Donnie's computer chair." Blue replied.

Orange started laughing. "Dude, that was _priceless_!"

Purple narrowed his eyes. "I will get you for that."

Orange's eyes glinted mischievously. "Bring it Donnie."

_So purple's name was Donnie huh?_ Kallie thought to herself.

"Well, I've told y'all my name, can I have all of yours?" She asked.

They hesitated for a moment before blue answered. "I'm Leonardo."

"Raphael." Red grunted.

"Donatello." Purple said.

"And I'm Michelangelo." Orange said with a goofy grin.

Kallie looked amused. "Your family a big fan of the arts?"

Leonardo smiled. "You could say that. Our father named us."

"Your mom didn't have a say in it I'm guessing?" Kallie asked.

"Er…we don't really have a mom." Michelangelo told her.

Kallie felt embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know…"

"It's okay. Our story is kinda…different." Donatello replied carefully.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Don't worry about it." Raphael inserted.

Kallie felt her temper flare, but she tapered it down. In all honesty, these guys didn't owe her any kind of explanation whatsoever. They had been kind enough to save her and make sure she was okay. Plus, they were walking her home. It was more than enough. They had finally reached a ladder and they slowly climbed up it, helping Kallie out as they immediately stayed close to the walls and alleys, staying hidden in the shadows. Kallie followed them without question.

"I take it you don't really wanna be seen?" She asked.

Michelangelo smiled. "Some people aren't as cool as you are with four giant talking turtles."

Kallie couldn't help but laugh. "I'm still not sure I'm not dreaming."

"Don't worry, you're not." He replied.

"I don't think that's exactly making me feel better." She laughed.

They continued down the roads, turning every once in a while until they were finally in front of her apartment building. It was super late so there weren't many people out on the streets, which made Kallie feel better. She was still pretty shook up about the attack.

"This is me." She told them.

"Nice digs." Michelangelo said with a low whistle.

"Thanks. I paid two years' worth of rent up front so I wouldn't have to worry about them upping it without telling me."

"How did ya manage that?" Raphael asked in awe.

Kallie squirmed a bit, not really comfortable. "My dad left me some money."

"That was nice of him." Leonardo said giving her a look. She could've sworn he was reading her every though, his eyes were so intense and just seemed to pierce right through her.

"Well, thanks for everything. I really appreciate it." She said suddenly.

"It was no trouble at all. Remember to take some ibuprofen to get ahead of the pain." Donatello reminded her.

She nodded. "I will."

"Well, see ya later!" Michelangelo said with a wave.

"Wait!" She called out. They stopped and turned to look at her. "Uh…will I ever see y'all again?"

Orange grinned. "I hope so!"

"If ya stay outta trouble then no. If this becomes a habit of yers, then yeah." Raphael replied.

Kallie was gonna retort when the four of them just vanished.

"How the hell do they do that?!" She asked out loud. There was no answer, so she simply sighed and walked into her apartment, slightly upset at the fact that she couldn't drink. A night like this definitely called for some alcohol. But sleep may be just as good.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed so far! I am soooooooooo very addicted to all the wonderful comments, so please keep them coming! I hope you all like this chapter. This has much more of the turtles in it! =]]**

**Disclaimer: I have no ownership whatsoever of the TMNT. I threw a fit about yesterday but it got me nowhere. Kallie is still mine though. So she'll do for now. **

Chapter 3: We've Gotta Stop Meeting Like This

Kallie dreamt of the four turtles that night. She was being chased by something and she saw them running towards her, she reached her hand out but they didn't seem to be getting any closer. She called out to them, but they couldn't hear her. She was jolted awake, sweating and tangled in her blankets. Once she calmed down she went to start her day. She only had three classes and would be done by 1 in the afternoon. She had made plans to go out with a friend of hers from choir class; Maggie. Maggie was older than Kallie and had kind of taken her under her wing when she first came to NYU. Kallie still wasn't as familiar with the school even though she'd been attending for two years. The campus was huge and she spent the majority of her time at only one side of the school.

Classes went fine, but Kallie was definitely distracted. Maggie elbowed her more than once in the ribs to get her to pay attention. Kallie was definitely going to have a bruise there now, which she told Maggie but Mags didn't seem to care. They were on their way to The Hub, a diner on campus with the _best _pulled pork sandwiches. Once there they were seated immediately and Kallie got a pulled pork sandwich with fries and a coke while Maggie ordered a chicken salad wrap.

"Why do you eat that rabbit food?" Kallie asked with an amused smile.

"Why do you eat artery clogging junk?" Maggie countered.

"Because it tastes good." Kallie retorted.

Maggie rolled her eyes but smiled back at her. "So what's with you being all distracted and what not?"

Kallie tensed. There was no way she was going to tell Maggie about what had happened to her last night. First, Maggie wouldn't leave her alone if she knew she had been attacked. Second, Maggie would think she had gone bat crap crazy if she told her about the turtles. Plus, even if Kallie thought Mags would be okay with it, she still wouldn't say anything. She felt the need to protect their secret. They had been so kind and so considerate of her; it was the least she could do for them.

"Late night at work. I barely got any sleep." Kallie lied easily.

Maggie let out an irritated sigh. "That creep works you way too hard."

Maggie didn't exactly approve of Kaliyah's job at The Duplex. She felt as if Kenny had a crush on Kallie and was trying to get in her pants. Plus, Maggie didn't like the fact that she was working at a bar at the tender age of 20.

Pfft.

"I only work three times a week Mags." Kallie said patiently.

"At a _bar_."

"Hey! It's a nice bar thank you very much! And could you be any louder?"

"You're lucky I haven't called the cops." Maggie replied.

"Then you'd cut into over half of my funds Mags. I need that job." Kallie told her. She wasn't worried about her actually calling the cops. She and Maggie had had this same conversation many, many times.

"Your mom should at least know." Maggie added. Kallie shot her a look, but Maggie looked completely unrepentant. "I'm serious. If your mother knew she would freak."

"My mom's opinion is that last opinion I'm worried about." Kallie told her darkly.

"Oh don't get that attitude with me Kaliyah Miller. I know you two have your differences, but she's still you mother."

"Don't full name me Margaret Deaton." Kallie retorted.

Maggie laughed. "I don't mind my first name _Kaliyah_."

Kallie growled at her but then their food came and she was lost in the deliciousness. They ate and continued talking about school and classes, the subject of Kallie's job and her mother left for another time. Kallie couldn't help but be a little miffed at Maggie. She knew how much she hated talking about her mom, but she always pressed the issue. Kallie only spoke to her mother whenever it was absolutely necessary. And of course whenever Kallie actually did call to genuinely see how her mom was doing, _he_ always friggin' answered the phone which prompted Kaliyah to hang up immediately. So eventually she stopped calling. If her mother was interested in what Kallie was doing, then she could call her. Kallie wasn't going to talk to Robert, wasn't even going to listen to his voice if she could help it.

They finished their meal and Maggie walked with Kallie to her apartment. Maggie didn't live too far away from Kallie so it really was on her way.

"Thanks for the company at lunch." Maggie told Kallie after hugging her.

"Thanks for the invite." Kallie replied.

"Do you work tonight?" Maggie asked.

Kallie shook her head. "Nope. I'm off and plan on reading for the evening."

Maggie smirked. "Bookworm."

"Illiterate bum." Kallie retorted.

Maggie laughed. It was a well-known fact that Maggie did not like reading; she preferred to just watch the movies despite Kallie's protests that they were nowhere near as good as the books.

"Don't stay up too late. Professor Carson won't allow you to be distracted during his class and you know it!" Maggie chastised.

"Well it's a good thing I'm not working then and I don't have to worry about it huh?" Kallie retorted.

"Good bye Kaliyah."

"See you later Margaret." Kallie replied with a roll of her eyes.

She made her way up to her apartment and decided to clean it before she got settled for the day. It was nearing 3 already and she figured she could probably go and get a hot chocolate from the cart five blocks away later on if she was still up for it. She decided to start in the bathroom and work her way from there. Luckily her apartment wasn't that big and she rarely did anything other than eat, sleep, read, and play piano so there wasn't much to clean. It only took about an hour so she decided to work on her music. She was currently writing a new song and just having a bit of a hard time with the harmony on the piano. She sat down and began to find the keys that went best with the tune she wanted the song to have. She could hear the grumblings of her downstairs neighbors and with a roll of her eyes she stopped playing. It was nearing 7 anyways and it was dark outside. She was really starting to crave that hot chocolate as she eyed her new book. Nothing beat curling up on the couch, reading a good book, and drinking hot chocolate. Kallie slipped on a cleaner pair of jeans, her hoodie, and a beanie since she knew it would be really cold. After locking her apartment up she went downstairs and outside, making the trek to the little cart she frequented on a weekly basis.

It was freezing in New York already. It was about a week before Thanksgiving and it had already dropped to the lower 30s after 5p.m. Kallie hated the cold weather. She wasn't good at dealing with it since she had grown up in Texas where the coldest it got was the low 50s. At first she had loved the snow. It was a completely new experience that she had only seen on T.V. and the snowball fights she had had with her few friends were always fun. But now that she was older and had to walk in the snow, she hated it and the cold. She fisted the ends of her hoodie to keep her hands warmer. The streets weren't nearly as busy as they normally were and she was grateful for that. She could get there and back faster without the hordes of people.

She finally made it to the cart and smiled at the older gentleman who ran it. He greeted her and she ordered the hot chocolate and a chocolate iced doughnut. The man put extra whipped cream on it for her and she smiled and thanked him after paying. The heat of the hot chocolate in her hand warmed her entire body. She smiled and sighed in happiness as she thought about getting home and reading. Kallie was a total bookworm and nothing made her happier than a quiet evening of reading. And after the hellish weekend she had, she really could use the stress reliever.

Unfortunately fate was not that kind to her.

"Where ya goin' sweetheart?" An all too familiar voice said from behind.

Kallie groaned and stopped walking, completely fed up with this jackass constantly tailing her.

"Please tell me I'm dreaming and you're not who I think you are."

"I'll be anything ya want me to be." He replied.

"Look, we're on a very crowded street. What do you think you're gonna do?" Kallie asked.

The creep opened his jacket and showed her a gun. It was everything she could do, not to roll her eyes.

"How did you get out of jail in the first place?" She asked him.

"There were no witnesses to no crime. Ya left in such a hurry last night sweetheart…ya shoulda stuck around. Now, we're gonna go down that there alley and yer gonna regret the day ya ever crossed me."

"I'm not going _anywhere_ with you." She spat out.

"Unless ya want ya pretty brain splattered all over this here sidewalk you'll do what I say." He said menacingly, wrapping his fingers around the gun.

"I'll scream." She told him.

"The louder the betta." He replied.

Kallie could barely stop herself from vomiting. This guy was never going to leave her alone. His grip on the gun tightened and her heart started slamming in her chest, fear threatening to choke her. She slowly turned around and started walking towards the alley he had told her walk down. She was clutching her hot chocolate tightly in her hand, planning on using its hot contents to throw in his face and then run. The moment they were out of the line of sight of people he shoved her against the cold wall. The hot chocolate fell to the ground and she wanted to cry; that was her last hope.

"Remember to scream." He whispered in her ear. She raised her knee, ready to knee the guy in the groin.

"Hey, dirt bag?" A voice suddenly called. Kallie looked around for the person who had just spoken. She couldn't see anyone though.

"Where the hell are ya?" The creep demanded, not loosening his hold on Kaliyah.

"I coulda sworn we took care of ya last night." The voice said again, only this time Kallie recognized it. It was Raphael!

"Raphael! He—!" She was cut off by the creep covering her mouth.

"This don't concern ya, so buzz off!" the creep said scathingly.

Raphael laughed, a cold and harsh sound. "Oh but it does concern us."

"Us…?" The creep trailed off.

"Us." Raphael confirmed and then the creep was tackled from the side by a green blur. There was a slight scuffle, sounds of fists connecting with flesh, grunts of pain coming from the creeper. Kallie was still pressed against the wall, more out of fear than anything else. Finally the sounds stopped and she was staring up at four familiar faces.

"Ya thinkin' of makin' this a habit?" Raphael asked.

Kallie scowled, her temper flaring. "Yes, because I enjoy nothing more than getting attacked _twice_ in a week. No genius, I don't plan on making this a habit."

Michelangelo laughed at the slightly shocked face Raphael was now sporting. "Oh man Raph, you better watch it, she's just as temperamental as you are!"

"Shut ya trap Mikey." Raphael growled.

"You okay?" Leonardo asked Kallie.

"What kind of question is that?" Kallie asked him.

Leonardo looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I just got attacked, _again_. Do you honestly think I would be okay?"

Leonardo looked somewhat sheepish and brought a hand to rub the back of his neck. "Uh…I guess not."

"Your damn right I'm not! What the hell is wrong with the people in this city?! I mean, do I have 'please attack me' written across my friggin' forehead or something?! I though the cops were supposed to keep creeps like this off of the streets?! All I wanted to do was get some hot chocolate and read my book—Awe man! My hot chocolate! That creep made it spill when he threw me against the wall! That bastard! That's the best damn hot chocolate in the city and he closes his cart at 8! What time is it?!" Kallie demanded, slightly hysterical.

"Uh…8:07." Donatello replied, wincing.

"WHAT?!" Kallie shrieked.

"Kaliyah…please keep it down, you don't wanna attract too much attention…" Leonardo told her.

"Don't tell me to keep it down and don't call me Kaliyah! I'm completely hot chocolate-less right now! I'm allowed to be pissed! That stinking jackass made me miss my hot chocolate and totally ruined my evening! Where is he?"

"Uh…over there." Michelangelo pointed a finger to a corner, looking slightly scared.

"I'll kill him." Kallie snarled. She made her way towards him when four hands grabbed her arms, stopping her.

"Not a good idea Kallie. He's out for the count and the cops are on their way." Donatello said.

"Is he actually gonna go to jail this time?"

"Yes. He's also wanted for robbing a gun store a few days ago. The gun he's carrying now is the weapon he stole." Donatello told her.

Kallie looked skeptical. "If he's not in jail by tomorrow I am so kicking y'alls ass." She told them, pointing an accusing finger at them.

The four of them were trying so very hard not to laugh, but the sides of each of their lips were quirked slightly; except for Michelangelo, he was full on smiling.

"I really like her." Michelangelo said.

"Would you like us to take you home now?" Leonardo asked.

Kallie didn't really want to go home. At home she was alone, and right now that was the last thing in the world she wanted. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. It was getting colder, or she was just allowing herself to actually feel what had just happened to her.

Michelangelo looked at her with confusion before recognition lit his eyes. He seemed to sense her uneasiness and fear.

"Hey, you haven't met Master Splinter yet! Why don't you come back to the lair with us?" Michelangelo offered.

"Mikey…" Donatello said uneasily.

"What? It's the least she could do! I mean, we have saved her twice in one week." Michelangelo said, winking at Kallie. Kallie couldn't help but smile in gratefulness. Michelangelo was offering her an excuse not to go home, not to be alone.

Raphael must've caught on to what Michelangelo was doing because soon he added, "Mike's got a point. She kinda does owe us. Plus, Master Splinter did say he wanted to meet her."

"Who's Master Splinter?" Kallie asked.

"You'll see! C'mon! After that we can watch some movies! Do you like horror movies?" Michelangelo asked her enthusiastically.

"Are you kidding me? I _love_ them!" Kallie responded.

Raphael groaned. "Great, another Mikey."

Leonardo chuckled and patted Raphael's shell. "Let's just get going. Master Splinter will be expecting us soon. Donnie, can you call him and let him know we're bringing company?"

"On it." Donatello replied, grabbing a phone out of his belt.

"We normally travel by rooftop, do you think you can handle that?" Leonardo asked Kallie.

"I think so." She replied.

Leonardo smiled and the five of them started making their way up the ladder. Once on top the four turtles set a quicker pace. Kallie was jogging slightly to keep up. Michelangelo was flipping and spinning and doing all sorts of crazy acrobatic things that Kallie couldn't help but stare in awe.

"Show off." Raphael muttered with an amused glance at Kallie.

Kallie laughed and shook her head. "Where did he learn that?"

"Master Splinter. And he ain't the only one who can do that kinda stuff. We all can." Raphael told her.

"Really?" Kallie asked in disbelief.

Raphael smirked before bounding ahead and back flipping onto the next building. He landed perfectly and soon Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo did the same thing. Kallie stopped at the ledge, mouth open in shock.

"What are y'all, some kind of like…ninjas or something?" She asked.

Donatello looked impressed. "Actually…yeah."

"Who the hell taught y'all to be ninjas?" She asked, still on the other building.

"Master Splinter." They replied.

"I really need to meet this guy." She said, still looking at them with awe.

"Well, if ya stay on that building we ain't neva gonna get there." Raphael retorted.

Kallie looked around and blushed furiously. "Sorry."

Raphael barked a laugh. "No need to turn red Sweetness."

Kallie blushed even harder and the four turtles couldn't help but laugh. Kallie cursed under her breath as she jumped the short distance between the buildings; she turned red super easily. It was a curse and something that never failed to get her a large amount of teasing.

"Don't call me Sweetness." She told Raphael, pointing a finger at his chest.

Raphael simply smirked. They continued their way across rooftops until they finally got to one that was way too wide for her to jump.

"Alright, climb on my back." Michelangelo said.

"What?!" Kallie demanded.

"Climb on my back, there's no way you can jump that."

"How would you know?" Kallie demanded.

Michelangelo snorted.

"What? I could totally be some kind of circus freak and you wouldn't know it!" She argued.

"There ain't no way yer a circus freak." Raphael commented as he vaulted himself across the buildings.

"How would you know?" Kallie shouted after him.

"Yer too short!" He called back with a smirk.

"What?!" Kallie shrieked.

Donatello and Michelangelo laughed. Leonardo rolled his eyes but he had a slight smile on his face as he flipped to the next building, Donatello not too far behind.

"You are kinda short." Michelangelo stated. "Even by human standards."

"I am not short!" Kallie insisted.

"Dude, you're like 5'3." Michelangelo said.

"More like…5'2. But that's only 4 inches shorter than the national average for women!" Kallie stated.

Michelangelo laughed and then before she could even protest, he grabbed her arm and slung her on this back before launching himself across to the next building. Kaliyah didn't even have time to scream before they finally landed. And instead of just letting her off, he continued running! The other turtles seemed to have absolutely no qualms as he nimbly made his way over the rooftops, skating across tight clothing lines, and eventually landing softly (how the hell he did that she would never know), on the road below. Kallie didn't realize it at first, but she was clutching tightly to the edge of his shell, her nails practically embedding themselves in it.

"You can let go now." Michelangelo told her.

"I'm sorry, but Kallie's not here right now, please leave a message after the beep." Kallie replied, sounding breathless.

Michelangelo laughed. "Where's the beep?"

"Beep." She deadpanned.

"You two wanna hurry it up? I'm starvin'." Raphael said gruffly. Kallie eventually pried herself off of Michelangelo's back and stood on shaky feet.

"You alright?" Michelangelo asked her.

She scowled at him. "Give a girl some warning next time!"

Michelangelo saluted. "Yes ma'am."

Kaliyah rolled her eyes and followed them down the man hole. Michelangelo was chattering away about the different kinds of horror movies he liked while the other three simply rolled their eyes, trying to hide amused grins. Kallie listened and nodded, responding with her favorites whenever he asked. Michelangelo was certainly more animated than his comrades; he seemed to have absolutely no problem with talking to Kallie. Not that the others had problems with talking to Kallie, they inserted opinions here and there, it just seemed as if the others were still gauging her reaction to everything. Kallie had a sneaking suspicion that they were still expecting her to start screaming her head off and run in the other direction.

Pfft.

Giant talking turtles? No biggie. These city slickers obviously have never seen a giant armadillo. Now _that_ is scary.

They finally reached the wall they had climbed out of yesterday…er…earlier this morning she supposed, and Leonardo grabbed what looked like a pipe and pulled. The wall gave a shudder before sliding open effortlessly.

Well, here goes nothing.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Huzzah for chapter 4! I just wanna say thanks once again for all the reviews. I'm so very addicted to them. It's a problem of course, but not one I'm looking to solve. So keep em coming! This chapter is very turtle centric! Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I wish I did, but I don't. I don't know how I'll go on, but I'll try…**

Chapter 4: Master Splinter and Crazy Stories!

"That's pretty tech savvy." Kaliyah commented as the wall opened.

Donatello looked proud. "Took about a week to rig it like that."

"You did that?" She asked.

Donatello nodded. "We needed our home to be hidden."

"I don't think many people would think about trying to pull on pipes to see where a secret giant talking turtle colony was hiding." Kaliyah said amused.

"Ya'd be surprised." Raphael muttered as they walked inside. Kallie didn't think too much about the red banded turtles comment as the five of them made their way inside. Kallie had been too overwhelmed to really notice her surroundings last night. Now though, she could see that the place was full of life!

There was a living room with an old and lumpy looking couch, two recliner chairs on either side of it and a bean bag in the corner. There was a big screen T.V. that was currently off. On the right side of the large room was a kitchen, complete with fridge, stove, and sink. There was a microwave and a coffee pot that was currently steaming with coffee. Off to the left side Kallie could see a small doorway leading to a room that was beeping. She figured that was the lab she had been in yesterday. Right behind the living room was a room that had a bright light coming from it, she couldn't see inside of it though. Next to that room was another room that had its doors closed. The doors were very ornate though; with dragon carvings and Japanese symbols etched into it. There were stairs off to the side too, leading to what looked like a rather large balcony, but there was obviously a hallway and Kallie thought their bedrooms might be up there.

"Home sweet home!" Michelangelo exclaimed, stretching his arms wide and grinning widely.

"Nice place." She commented. And she wasn't lying, it was pretty nice. Well, except for the fact that there were pizza boxes strewn all over the place.

Leonardo scowled. "It's normally much cleaner when _certain turtles_ do their chores."

Michelangelo rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Hehe, sorry bout that dude. I meant to do it earlier, but then this thing happened and I—"

"Let me guess, you saw something on T.V. that you just had to watch? A comic book was calling your name? Or were you late in saving the world on Halo again?" Leonardo asked, arms folded across his chest and a firm and scolding look on his face. Kallie had the feeling that Leonardo was like, the leader or something of their little gang. He had that whole 'I'm the boss' thing going for him.

Michelangelo continued to look sheepish, opened his mouth to say something but the look on Leonardo's face intensified and he closed his mouth again before sighing dramatically and walking over to pick up the pizza boxes.

"Sorry about that." Leonardo told Kaliyah.

"S'okay. My apartment just got a thorough cleaning because I've been too lazy to do it lately." She replied.

"Yeah well, this place is too big for just one of us to do it. We all chip in. Mikey's a procrastinator." Leonardo said to her.

Kaliyah laughed.

"Want some coffee?" Donatello asked her.

"Oh that sounds wonderful." Kallie said with appreciation.

"Donnie…" Leonardo said. Though it sounded more like a warning.

"Leo, I'm just offering our guest something to drink." Donatello said in defense, as if he had to convince Leonardo that he wasn't doing anything wrong.

"Yeah well, be sure you keep it at one cup." Leonardo said.

"What if she wants more?"

"I wasn't talking about her." Leonardo replied with a pointed look at the purple banded turtle.

Donatello rolled his eyes, but motioned for Kallie to sit down as he walked to the makeshift kitchen and got out mugs. Kallie let her eyes roam over the place, taking in her surroundings. These guys had truly made a home for themselves.

Donatello returned with two steaming cups of coffee and Kallie took it, trying not to gulp the thing down in one swallow. It was good. Like, really good.

"This is fantastic." She told him.

Donatello smiled. "I love coffee."

"Ditto."

"Even more than hot chocolate?" Donatello asked slyly.

Kallie scowled at him. "No, especially not cart hot chocolate."

Donatello laughed and soon they were joined by Raphael. Michelangelo was still cleaning up a bit while Leonardo had gone into the room with the dragon doors.

"Don't think just cuz Leo ain't out here means ya can drink that whole pot of coffee." Raphael said to Donatello with a knowing look.

Kallie laughed. "What, are you on a caffeine watch or something?"

"Yes." Donatello muttered.

Kallie laughed again.

"He don't know his limits. Last time he was up for three days straight, so Leo and Master Splinter cut him off." Raphael said with a smirk.

"They didn't cut me off. I'm just…not allowed to have more than four cups a day for a little while." Donatello replied a bit on the petulant side.

"Sounds like a good plan. Believe it or not, sleep is a good thing!" Kallie told him as if she were talking to a young child.

"You try sleeping when you're on the brink of the discovery of a new microorganism!"

Kallie looked at him as if he had just grown three heads. Raphael smirked.

"Donnie's our resident nerd genius."

"I think I'm starting to see that." Kallie commented.

"You could've kept the 'nerd' part out." Donatello told Raphael.

"Not as much fun." Raphael retorted.

"I notice y'all don't call each other by your first names…you hate them like I hate mine or something?"

"Well, like Mikey was telling you; it's mainly used by our father and when we're in some kind of trouble. Or when we want to be particularly annoying, but that's usually reserved for Mikey." Donatello replied.

"So…Leonardo goes by Leo, Raphael goes by Raph, You go by Donnie, and Michelangelo goes by Mikey?" Kallie asked.

Donatello nodded. "Pretty much."

"So if I called y'all by your full first name anyways…" Kallie trailed off with a sly smile.

"Ya won't hear nuttin' but Kaliyah come outta our mouths." Raphael finished for her.

Kallie scowled at him but he just smirked. Leonardo—er Leo, came out and was making his way towards them with a giant rat following behind him.

That's right. A giant _rat_.

"I guess this shouldn't really be any kind of surprise." Kallie commented.

Mikey was making his way towards them as well and he barked out a laugh. "Have I mentioned that I like her?"

Kallie stood to her feet as the rat and Leo finally made it to her. The rat extended his hand and Kallie grasped it. She felt completely weird of course, but considering she'd just been rescued by four ninja turtles, she really shouldn't be that surprised.

"Good evening child." The rat said to her.

"Uh…hi." Kallie replied, still a bit weirded out.

"What is your name?" He asked her.

"Kaliyah Miller, but you can call me Kallie."

Mikey snorted. "Good luck with that."

"Michelangelo." The rat chastised.

"Sorry Sensei." Mike replied, though he didn't sound or look very sorry.

"It is nice to finally meet you Kaliyah; my sons have told me about you." The rat replied.

"Kallie is fine. And did you say sons?" Kallie asked.

The rat nodded. "I am Master Splinter, these are my four sons. I assume they have already told you their names?"

Kallie nodded. "Yeah they did." She turned and looked at the four turtles. "So you guys are like, brothers?"

Leo nodded.

"So, are y'all quadruplets or something?"

Leonardo chuckled. "Not that we know of."

"Judging by size, maturity, and growth, Leo's the oldest, Raph is second oldest, I come in third and Mikey's the baby." Donatello told her.

"I am _not_ the baby. I'm the _youngest_." Mike replied with emphasis.

Kallie laughed. Master Splinter was staring intently at her and she was getting kinda anxious.

"You are very interesting…" Master Splinter commented.

"Uh…how so?"

"I sense no fear in you…apprehension yes, but fear? No." Master Splinter said.

"Is that a bad thing?" Kallie asked.

Master Splinter smiled. "No it is not. I also sense no falsehood in you."

"Okay…" Kallie answered, still kind of weirded out.

Master Splinter chuckled. "There are many questions you have for us, am I correct?"

"I may have a few…" Kallie replied.

Master Splinter sat down. "First, I must ask you a question."

"Go for it."

"You are about to delve into a world full of things that you may never have heard of or seen before. It is a thrilling tale, but one that is constantly changing and growing. If you want to hear this tale and become a part of it, I must warn you; our lives bring forth trouble at times, there are many enemies out there that seek to destroy our family. If you become a part of this you are accepting these troubles and the possibilities of creating enemies of your own. Is this something that you truly want?"

Kallie didn't answer at first. What Splinter had just told her was…well, it was kinda a lot to take in all at once. For goodness sakes she just met these guys two days ago! She looked at all the faces around her. Leo, Donnie, and Raph all looked serious…yet hopeful, but it was a hope that was filled with doubt. They didn't think she would say yes. Mikey though? Well, Mike was grinning like a fool, his baby blue eyes filled with…_confidence_. He knew she was going to say yes. Kallie couldn't help but return his grin. It was that grin, Mikey's grin, that made up her mind. She wanted nothing more than to be a part of this odd little group. She didn't fit in anywhere else in this city, but here she felt like she could possibly belong.

"Definitely." Kallie answered.

Mike's grin widened if that were possible. Leo looked impressed, as did Donnie. Raph tried to look indifferent but he smirked slightly.

Master Splinter smiled and the tale began. Apparently the old rat watched his owner and learned how to be a ninja. Some crazy dude named Shredder slaughtered his master and his family. A few years later Splinter found four turtles covered in some kind of ooze junk. He tried to get the stuff off of them but managed to get himself covered in it as well. Soon they all began to grow at an alarming rate, after growth came intelligence, and after intelligence came training. Splinter trained his four sons in ninjitsu, the sacred art of being a ninja. Apparently they were fully trained now and helped protect the city. Master Splinter said he passed the baton of leadership to Leo years ago. As the oldest and apparently most focused, he accepted and now leads the others in whatever it is they need to do at the time. Kallie gave herself kudos for spotting that earlier.

"So y'all just live down here and go up to the surface at night to patrol the city?" Kallie asked.

"Sometimes the boys in blue need a little help. That's where we come in." Leonardo said.

"Well, I'm certainly glad y'all are around." Kallie replied, barely concealing a shudder of fear.

"We normally gotta take things into our own hands." Raphael replied.

"My sons and I have been watching the city for many years now. We swore to protect it as well as each other. Our family may be strange, but it is what makes us strong." Master Splinter replied.

Kallie smiled. The idea of family was great, but Kallie didn't have a good experience with the whole 'family' thing. She remembered her family used to be close, until everything fell apart 7 years ago.

"Well that is certainly an interesting story. Who knew mutating ooze was real?" Kallie said.

"You'd be amazed at some of the stuff we've seen." Donatello replied.

"I'd love to hear some of those stories!" Kallie said enthusiastically.

"How about you tell us about yourself! You've heard our story, what's yours?" Mikey asked enthusiastically.

Kallie snorted. "It's nowhere near as entertaining as y'alls story, trust me."

"Dude, I gotta know where that accent came from! I gotta try so hard not to burst out laughing every time you talk!" Mike said, dodging away from the smack he was about to get from Raph.

"Michelangelo." Splinter chastised.

"Oh come on! I can't be the only one who's noticed she talks funny!"

Before anyone could yell at Mike again, Kallie laughed. "It's called an accent genius. I didn't grow up here." She told them.

"Where are you from then?" Donatello asked.

"Well, I was born and raised in Texas; a small town named Pearsall about an hour away from San Antonio. We moved here when I was a freshman in high school, my mom got a fancy job and then I got a scholarship to NYU. I was planning on leaving New York as soon as possible, but the scholarship was too good to pass up." She said.

"So that's where the whole 'y'all' thing comes from! You're a southerner!" Michelangelo exclaimed.

Kallie laughed. "Yeah, I'm from the south. You can take the girl outta the country but you can't take the country outta the girl."

"What are you going to NYU for?" Donatello asked her, his eyes brightening at the mention of the college.

"Music." She told him.

"You play an instrument?" Leonardo asked.

"Piano and the violin, but I'm mostly there to sing." She told them.

"Really?" Raph asked with a quirk of his brow.

"Yeah. I uh…I got the scholarship for singing. I've been doing it since I was little."

There was silence as five pairs of eyes stared at her intently. She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with the staring. Finally her temper got the better of her.

"What?" She snapped.

"Sing for us already!" Mikey said with an eye roll as if it were obvious that that was what they were waiting for.

"Here? Now?" She asked, completely caught off guard.

"Duh!" Mike said.

"You guys don't have a piano or nothing!" She told them.

"Why not go acapella?" Donnie suggested.

Kallie blushed furiously again. She was normally never nervous, but for some reason she felt shy around these guys.

"I don't sound as good without music."

"I'm sure that's not true." Leo said.

"She's just scared." Raph commented.

Kallie whipped her head towards him, eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"Ya heard me."

"Okay, first of all, I am _not_ scared. Second of all, take that back."

"No way."

"Raphael." Master Splinter chastised.

Raph looked amused but conceded. "Hai Sensei."

Kallie scowled at him one more time before turning to the others. "I'll sing for y'all one night at my place. I'd invite you to The Duplex…but I don't think they'd take y'all too kindly."

"What's The Duplex?" Mike asked.

"It's a piano bar that I sing at three nights a week. It's my second job. I also tutor at the college."

"You work at a _bar_?" Donnie asked, looking shocked.

Kallie rolled her eyes. "It's a decent bar thank you very much. High class kinda joint."

"You're how old again?" Leonardo asked.

"20."

"You're not old enough to work at a bar." Leonardo told her, folding his arms across his chest as if about to lecture her like he did his little brother.

"Calm down Captain Rule Follower, I'm perfectly aware that I'm not of legal drinking age, but that doesn't mean I can't sing there." Kallie said.

Raph and Mikey burst out laughing, Donnie chuckling a bit.

"Captain Rule Follower! HA! That is pure GOLD!" Mikey said, wiping a stray tear from his eye. Leo looked a bit put off but couldn't help the sides of his lips quirking up slightly.

"That is certainly a first. I can honestly say I've never heard that one before." Leonardo said.

"I'm beginnin' to like her too. She's kinda a bad ass." Raph said.

"Raphael!"

"Sorry Sensei."

"I apologize for his language. It is a bad habit of his." Master Splinter told her.

Kallie blushed a bit. "It's fine, I have a bit of a foul mouth too. Used to drive my mom crazy."

"I like how easily this chick blushes. This is gonna be _fun_!" Mikey said.

Kallie shot him a glare that only made him laugh.

Master Splinter smiled kindly before standing to his feet. "It was nice meeting you Kaliyah. I would love to stay and talk some more, but I am growing tired. Please feel free to stay as long as you would like."

"Thank you." Kallie told him with a smile.

"Boys, be sure to get her home safely."

"Hai Sensei." All four of them replied.

"Until next time Kaliyah." Master Splinter said.

"It was nice meeting you too. And please, call me Kallie."

The old rat merely smiled before making his way back to his room.

"He's not gonna call me Kallie is he?" She asked.

The four chuckled.

"Nope. Might as well get used to it!" Mikey said with a grin.

Kallie sighed.

"We gotta introduce you to Casey and April as soon as possible!" Mike said suddenly.

"Who are they?"

"Our other human friends. We met April kinda like how we met you. She was in trouble and Raph saved her. Raph introduced us to Casey too, he was this vigilante who was helping keep the streets clean but he got a bit carried away and Raph and him got into some kind of big tempered hotheaded fight. Then they were friends." Mikey said with barely a breath in between.

"Hotheaded?" Kallie asked amused.

"Oh yeah, Raph has quite the temper." Mike replied with a smirk.

"Shut ya trap Mikey. No one cares." Raph muttered.

Kallie smirked. "I dunno, this sounds kinda interesting.

"Oh the stories I could tell you! I swear the guy can't take a joke! He's so sensitive—OW!" Mike didn't dodge the blow this time.

"I am _not_ sensitive." Raph growled.

Mikey gave a look to Kallie that screamed, 'see what I mean?' Kallie laughed.

"You guys are funny." She said.

"Oh yeah, we're a real riot." Leo replied with an eye roll.

"Alright, enough chit chat, who wants some pizza?" Mikey asked enthusiastically.

"You guys eat pizza?" Kallie asked in shock.

"Of course we eat pizza! What else is there?!" Mike exclaimed.

"I dunno…I thought turtles ate like, leaves and junk." Kallie said.

"Way to stereotype!" Donatello said with a laugh.

"Hey, I'm new at this whole…teenage mutant ninja turtle thing alright?" Kallie said with a wave of her hand.

"I'll order it. Raph, start the movies!" Mike said, back flipping towards the phone.

"If I start em, I pick em!" Raph shouted after him.

Michelangelo didn't answer. Raph rolled his eyes as he got up and sifted through a box full of DVDs. Donatello and Leonardo walked over to help their brother in the search for movies. Kallie couldn't help but pinch herself, just to make sure she really wasn't dreaming. This whole thing…felt so odd. She was sitting on a lumpy couch, in the middle of New York City's sewer system with four turtles and a giant rat. She was about to have a perfectly normal night of watching horror movies, but there was nothing normal about the company. But it suited her just fine. She wasn't really normal herself. So she smiled and walked over to help them with their search.

Normal is vastly overrated anyways.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Alrighty here's chapter 5! Thanks for all the reviews again. I just can't stop thanking y'all. Lol. Please don't forget to let me know what you think of this chapter as well! =]]**

**Disclaimer: Kaliyah is mine. The mutants are not. **

Chapter 5: I Don't Even Know What to Think…

That first night hanging out with the turtles had probably been the most fun that Kallie had had in years. They watched all of the Scream movies while chomping down on pizza. It was nearly 3am by the time she got home. Class was hell the next morning; she was working on barely 3 hours of sleep. 2 five hour energy drinks, 8 cups of coffee, and 4 shots of espresso later, she was finally able to keep her eyes open for her last class. Maggie snickered the entire time, constantly poking her in her ribs in the exact spot that Kallie was most sensitive. Kallie would jump, try to stifle her giggles, scowl at Maggie, before straightening and trying to pay better attention.

After class, Kallie had two tutoring sessions before having to be at The Duplex to sing. It was one of her longer singing sessions and she had to have 7 songs ready. She left her students around 6 and barely had enough time to get back to her apartment to grab her outfit for the night. She arrived at The Duplex 15 minutes before she was due on stage. Kallie dressed as quickly as possible, put on some make up and did absolutely nothing with her hair besides rub some gel in it to tame the curls. Kallie made her way backstage and met Kenny.

"You ready?"

Kallie straightened her wine red one shoulder strapped dress before smiling at Kenny. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"You're cutting it close again." He told her.

"Tutoring ran a little later than I thought it would. I'm sorry." Kallie said.

"It's fine. Can you play piano tonight? I'm wanting a chill mood."

Kallie smiled widely. "Of course!"

"Put those lessons of yours to the test." Kenny told her with a slight smile on his face.

"I'm so down with that." Kallie replied.

"You're on sweetheart." Kenny said as he walked onstage and introduced her.

Kallie waved, grinning brightly to the audience as she made her way to the piano. She decided to do an indie set; starting with Ingrid Michelson and adding in a bit of Lisa Gungor and Sara Bareilles. It took about an hour to get through all the songs with the breaks Kallie had to take in between, but it was a good set and the audience really seemed to enjoy themselves. She bid the audience goodnight and decided to go straight home. Her caffeine high was lowering and her body was crashing. Kenny gave her the tips she earned for the night as well as her paycheck and with a smile and a wave she left. The heels she had on were killing her, her toes were fine now, but the balls of her feet were really achy.

It was supposed to snow tonight and she was not happy. She pulled her pea coat tighter around herself, hating that she didn't change before leaving. She wanted to crash immediately once she got home, but she promised Raphael that she'd call them once she made it home safely. Kallie kept a constant eye out for any jerks that may be following her, but she made it to the subway safely. She was going to take a taxi at first but Sam was off duty for the week while his daughter was in town from Stanford. The subway pulled to a stop and she got off, quickly making her way up the stairs and then down the two blocks to her apartment. It was nearing 10pm and she couldn't wait to sleep. She took the elevator up and stopped dead in her tracks once she walked out of the elevator.

Black smoke was coming out from under her door.

Kaliyah ran towards her door and wrenched it open, ignoring the heat of the doorknob. Her entire apartment was up in flames. Unfortunately the alarm wasn't going off in her apartment but the moment she opened the door the one in the hallway started shrieking. Kallie could barely take the heat, the smoke was choking her but she needed to get to her bedroom. She couldn't think of anything else but getting to her room.

Her photo album was there.

Her last memories of her dad.

Kallie covered her mouth and nose and surged forward, keeping her head low and trying not to breathe. She could hear screams coming from the hallway and she figured people were trying to get out of the building. She finally made it to her room when a board fell from the ceiling, cutting off her route to her closet. The board was complete set aflame; there was no way she could get over it. But she had to try. She was going to run through it when she felt an arm snake around her waist. She immediately started fighting it, desperately clawing at it to get away and get to her closet.

"Kallie! We gotta go!" Raphael yelled over the roar of the fire.

"No! I gotta get my album!" She shouted, still trying to get away.

"It's no use Kallie! Ya can't reach it!" Raph responded, pulling her away.

Kallie struggled harder, coughing before screaming. "NO! I NEED IT!"

Raph finally wrapped his other arm around her legs and hoisted her into the air before making his way out of the apartment. Kallie continued to fight screaming at the top of her lungs for him to 'let her go' and 'I gotta get my album!' Raph struggled to keep a hold on her as well as not breathe in the toxic fumes. Kallie was coughing uncontrollably through her screams. They got out of the room, but the whole hallway was now on fire. Raphael whistled, setting the signal for his brothers. Down the hallway a window exploded, three green figures tumbling in and motioning for Raph and Kallie to follow them. Raph didn't let go of Kaliyah, afraid that if he did she would immediately try to run back into the burning apartment. Raph tightened his grip as he barreled through the flames and jumped out the window, switching to holding Kaliyah with one hand as he grabbed the outside railing and swung them to the top of the attached building's roof. The three other turtles were following closely and Raph continued to run, jumping from rooftop to rooftop until they were a safe distance away from the fire. Kallie was still fighting once Raphael let go of her.

"I gotta go back!" She insisted, trying to run back towards her building.

"Kallie you can't! It's on fire!" Donatello said, blocking her exit.

"I gotta get my album!" She said, ducking under Don's arm. Leo was the next to step in front of her.

"Kaliyah, this is madness, it's gone!" Leo said.

"NO IT'S NOT! I GOTTA GO BACK!" She screamed, pushing at Leo's chest, surprising him enough that he stumbled. Kallie took her opportunity and booked it towards the ledge. Mikey caught her easily though, wrapping his arms around her thin frame.

"LET ME GO!"

"Kallie, it's gone. It's all gone. Everything. I'm so sorry." Mikey said to her, refusing to let go.

"NO! IT CAN'T BE! I NEED IT! IT'S ALL I HAVE LEFT! PLEASE LET ME GO!" She screamed, her struggling slowly decreasing as her exhausted body held no more energy.

"I'm so sorry Kallie. I'm so sorry." Mikey murmured in her ear, still holding onto her.

"Please…please…I need it…it's all I have of him…" Kallie begged miserably, silent tears pouring down her face.

Mikey stroked her head as he continued to hold her, her body finally going limp as the fight left her. Donnie, Leo, and Raph made their way over to them. Eventually Kallie sank to her knees, Mikey and the rest of the guys following her. Kallie continued to cry; completely silent, her shaking shoulders and tears the only thing noticeable about her sobs. Mikey continued to stroke her hair, whispering that everything was going to be okay.

But it wasn't.

She had just lost everything. _Everything_. Her music, her piano, her clothes, her violin, and most importantly her photo album. The photo album that her father had given her before he died 7 years ago. It was the only thing she had left of him. All her pictures of them together, their movie theater tickets, concert tickets they had seen together, and letters they had written to each other when he was deployed. She now had nothing left.

"Kallie, I'm so sorry, but we need to get back to the lair. We'll be safe to talk there." Leonardo told her.

Kallie looked up at him, barely registering his words, but allowing Michelangelo to lift her to her feet. Raph came forward and immediately scooped her up into his arms and they were off. It was a short trip luckily and they got to the manhole quickly. Raph just jumped down and continued carrying Kaliyah until they reached the lair. Master Splinter was already waiting for them; two cups of steaming hot tea in his hands. Raphael let Kallie down and she stood on unsteady legs, still clad in her red dress and heels.

"Come Kaliyah, sit and have some tea." Master Splinter said, ushering her to the couch. She followed numbly, sitting on the couch and accepting the tea. She didn't really want to drink it but Splinter insisted and she took a deep sip. Warmth immediately spread throughout her body and she went to take another drink when she started coughing violently. Splinter took the cup from her and allowed her to get through it before handing it back to her.

"I should check out her lungs. She was in that room for a while." Donatello said.

"M'fine." Kallie mumbled.

"It is for the best Kaliyah." Master Splinter told her. Kallie shivered and wished again she had changed before leaving for work. The shiver was not lost on the old rat. "We may have some of Ms. O'Neil's old clothes here. I will find you some while Donatello checks on your health."

Kallie nodded and followed Donnie into the lab. Donnie ushered her onto the medical table. He rummaged through a few cupboards and came back with a stethoscope. He listened closely to her labored breathing, wincing at the wheezing sounds coming from her lungs. She was in serious trouble if they got infected. An antibiotic was her safest bet just in case. An inhaler probably wouldn't hurt either, but Don couldn't remember if he had any.

"I'm worried about an infection, that was a lot of smoke you inhaled. I'm gonna give you an antibiotic to take for the next few days. I'll see if April has an extra inhaler too, just in case." Donnie told her.

Kallie said nothing, just stared at the floor. Don frowned and went to the cupboards to get the medication. He shook out two pills and handed them to Kallie. He was about to call for one of his brothers to get a glass of water when Leonardo appeared with one, Mikey and Raph not too far behind.

"Here" Don said, handing her the glass and pills.

Kallie made no notice of either thing.

"Kallie?" Don called. Still no answer. "Kallie, I need you to take these okay?"

Kallie looked up, blinking unfocused eyes at him. It was the first time he noticed the color of her eyes. They were a brilliant blue, almost cerulean in color. And right now they were the saddest pair of eyes he had ever seen in his life. It was as if she had just lost a family member. Donatello could not understand what it was that was so important that she was willing to risk her life to get back into that apartment.

"Sure." She mumbled, swallowing the pills down. She shivered again right as Master Splinter came back in.

"These were all I could find." Master Splinter said, handing Kaliyah the clothes. Kallie accepted them; it was a pair of gray sweat pants with a long sleeve New York Giants shirt. "We shall leave you to change. Join us in the living room once you are done."

The five of them left and shut the door. Kallie didn't move for a few moments. She just wanted to curl up and sleep; only to wake up and find that this whole night was nothing but a horrible nightmare. She knew she was delusional of course. A coughing fit overtook her as she quickly changed out of her dress and into the offered clothes. Once changed she got up to rinse the black stains on her hands. She looked into a small, cracked mirror and noticed her face was covered in soot as well. She sighed and washed her face and hands. Once she was clean she walked out and joined the rest of the group. Master Splinter handed her another cup of tea. They sat there, silent for a few moments before Master Splinter spoke once again.

"I know that you have suffered a terrible loss today and I cannot express to you how deeply sorry I am. And I am even more sorry to have to tell you more bad news."

Kallie looked up at him. More bad news? Yeah, because tonight hasn't been terrible enough for her, had it?

"There was a note on your kitchen counter. This was not an accident." Master Splinter told her.

"A note?" She asked hoarsely.

"From the Purple Dragons." Leo told her.

"What did it say?" She asked.

"I will read it to you." Master Splinter said. He pulled out a piece of paper. "Ms. Miller, this is a warning. You have something that we want. Give us the combination by the end of next week. If you refuse to do so we won't be so lenient next time."

"Combination?" Kallie asked confused.

"Do you know what they're talking about?" Donatello asked.

"No, I have no idea." She told them.

"Kinda stupid of them to burn the apartment down. Ya'd think there'd be a possibility of burnin' the combination to ash. Yer sure ya don't know anything about it?" Raph asked.

Kallie nodded. "I've never been given any kind of combination besides the one to my high school locker."

"They obviously think you've got some kind of combo though. Kinda weird for them to do such a violent attack so early though, there's normally a warning. They had this planned though; they cut off her fire detector and everything." Leo commented.

"Dudes, they've been trailing her for weeks now." Mikey added.

"That's true. They must've gotten tons of information about her just from watching her." Leo said.

"We can worry about that later, for now, we must ensure that Kaliyah is safe." Master Splinter said. "I am going to call Ms. O'Neil and see if she can bring some more clothes for Kaliyah tomorrow. We all need to sleep after that. It has been a long night. Boys, be sure Ms. Miller is comfortable and then head to bed."

"Hai Sensei." The boys replied.

"My condolences once more Kaliyah." Master Splinter said. Kallie merely nodded, trying to keep the tears at bay as the older rat left the room.

"You okay?" Mikey asked.

"Not even a little bit." She whispered.

"What were ya thinkin'?" Raph demanded suddenly.

Kallie's head lifted as she looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Ya charged into that burnin' apartment and almost got yaself killed! What the hell was so damn important that ya felt the need to risk ya life!"

"Raph." Leo warned.

"What Leo? I just wanna know what the hell she was thinkin'!"

"My photo album." Kallie whispered.

"Ya risked ya life for a photo album?!" Raph asked incredulously.

"It's all I have left…"

"Of what?" Donnie asked gently.

"My dad…" Kallie croaked out.

"What happened?" Mike asked.

Kallie swallowed thickly before being thrown into another coughing fit. Mikey rubbed her back through it. She took a shuddering breath as tears ran down her face.

"He died…in the war…he was deployed and…h-his tank hit a r-road side bomb…he d-didn't stand a ch-chance…his whole u-unit was g-gone…" Kallie sobbed. "Th-That album was all I h-had left! It h-had our letters t-to one another in it; along w-with concert tickets, m-movie tickets, and c-countless photos…that's all I h-had left of him. Now I have _nothing_."

The four brothers stood speechless. In their short amount of time knowing Kallie they would never have guessed she held this kind of pain. Granted she didn't really want to talk about herself or her family, they still wouldn't have guessed she had this kind of secret. It hurt them to know she was in so much pain.

"Kallie…I'm so sorry." Leo told her. He couldn't imagine losing a family member like that. Of course, it was a possibility for them each and every day, but he still didn't like to dwell on it. He had almost lost a few of them in the past and he couldn't imagine what he would've done if he had actually lost them.

"I need it…to never f-forget him…to r-remember his sacrifice f-for me…and th-this country…and now it's g-gone…"

"Kallie, it's gonna be okay. We're gonna find the creeps who did this and make sure they pay." Leo told her.

"It's n-not gonna bring back m-my album…" She said miserably, still crying.

"No it won't and I'm sorry."

"I just wanted t-to get it…"

Raph rubbed a hand over his face. "We get that, really we do, but the next time ya pull a stunt like that I'll beat the blonde outta ya hair."

Kallie almost smiled at that. "M'sorry. I didn't mean to scare you guys…guess I got a little desperate…"

"It happens." Mikey said, trying for an easy smile.

"I need to call Maggie, she's probably freaking out." Kallie said suddenly, wiping her face and shaking her head as if to clear it.

"Of course. We'll be back. Are you hungry?" Donnie asked.

"No." She answered. They nodded and the younger turtles walked into the kitchen, Leo making his way to a closet while Kaliyah made her phone call.

Maggie was hysterical, demanding to know where she was at so she could pick her up and take her to Maggie's house. Kallie ensured her that she was with friends on the other side of town since she was hanging out with them before work. It was a lie, but one that Maggie bought so that was all that mattered. She used her phone to email her professors to let them know she wasn't going to be in class for the rest of the week. She turned her phone off and leaned back on the couch.

The turtles returned with Leo handing her blankets and a pillow before leaning against the arm of the couch next to Kaliyah's feet, Raph sitting on the recliner, and Mikey and Donnie on the floor next to her head.

"Should you call your family?" Donnie asked.

A dark expression crossed over Kallie's features. "Maybe later."

The turtles could tell that this was not an issue they wanted to press so they left it alone. They sat in silence, no one really knowing to say at the moment. Mikey yawned loudly suddenly and Leo glanced at the clock, noticing it was nearing midnight now.

"C'mon guys, let's leave Kaliyah be, she needs some sleep." Leo told the group.

Mike looked as if he were about to protest but a sharp look from his oldest brother silenced him.

"If you need anything, just yell and we'll be here in an instant." Leo told her.

Kallie nodded. "Thanks."

"Night." Donnie told her, Raph grunting the same phrase.

"G'night. Don't hesitate to holler for us." Mikey told her.

"Good night Kaliyah." Leo told her as he turned to follow his brother's up the stairs.

"Good night guys." Kallie responded. "Oh and Leo?"

Leo stopped and turned to look at her.

"Yes?"

"Call me Kaliyah again, and I'll smack ya." She told him, a small and tired smile graces her features.

Leo grinned back at her. "Understood."

He continued up the stairs and once at the top he stopped once more to ask Kallie if she needed anything else, but once he looked back at her, she was already asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope all of y'alls turkey day are super amazingly AWESOME! I know it's a day early, but I'm gonna be too busy cooking and baking tomorrow so I decided to post tonight. So think of it as an early Thanksgiving present! =]]**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own nuttin. **

Chapter 6: Everything's Gonna Change Now…

"KALLIE!"

"DADDY!"

"KALLIE, SAVE ME!"

"I'M TRYING!"

"DON'T LET GO!"

"YOU'RE SLIPPING!"

"KALLIE!"

"DADDY NO!"

He slipped through her fingers and fell right into the flames, screaming her name. Kallie tried to save him but she wasn't strong enough. She screamed out his name as she watched her father be engulfed by the fire.

"Kallie! Kallie wake up!"

"NO! DADDY PLEASE!"

"Kallie please wake up!"

"DADDY!" Kallie screamed, her throat going raw with the action as she sat up, fighting the hands that were grabbing her. They were going to throw her into the fire too. Kallie elbowed something; she heard a grunt as she connected with flesh.

"Kallie it's me, it's Raph! Ya gotta wake up!" Raphael said, shaking her shoulders. Kallie's eyes snapped open and she looked up at Raphael. Her cerulean eyes full of fear. She was sweating and her curly hair was hanging wildly in her face. She sat up and pushed herself against the back of the couch. She was breathing heavily, panting as if she had just run a marathon.

"Are you okay?" Raph asked. Kallie looked at him, her fists curled into her sheet. She turned her head and saw the other three turtles looking at her with worry.

"Y-Yeah…I'm sorry I woke y'all…" Kallie trailed off, still trying to catch her breath. She was overtaken by a coughing fit; her already weakened lungs not handling the lack of breath well. Donatello went to the kitchen and brought back a glass of water. Kallie took it gratefully and sipped on it for a moment before sitting it down on the floor and releasing a shuddering breath.

"Thanks." She told him.

"No problem. I found an inhaler; can you take two breaths of this for me?" He asked, producing the medication. Kallie nodded and did as he instructed. She grimaced; the air coming from the small pump was really gross tasting.

"Ugh."

Don chuckled softly. "It doesn't exactly have the most pleasant taste."

"You can say that again." Kallie muttered.

"It'll help though, I promise."

Kallie merely nodded, still reeling from the vivid nightmare.

"You wanna talk about it?" Leonardo asked.

Kallie looked at him and shook her head. "I'm fine, really."

"You know, people who normally scream their heads off at 3:45 in the morning aren't normally 'fine.'" Michelangelo supplied.

"Well I'm not normal so I guess that doesn't apply to me." Kallie retorted.

Mikey grinned. "Oh that one is almost too easy."

Kallie scowled at him, but felt her lips quirking up in amusement. She did just kinda set herself up for some teasing. "Not a word." She told him in mock anger.

Mikey put his hands up. "Hey, I'm giving you a free pass tonight. That all changes once we're up for good though."

Kallie rolled her eyes.

"Ya good?" Raph asked.

Kallie nodded. "I'm good. And again, I'm sorry for waking y'all."

"Don't apologize…we've all been there." Leo told her. Kallie looked up at Leo; his eyes were haunted looking. Kallie wanted to ask what it was that he dreamt about, what kept him from sleeping soundly. But she wasn't exactly ready to talk about hers, so she could hardly ask him to talk about his.

"Go to sleep Kallie. We'll wake ya up when it's time, kay?" Raph asked her.

Kallie nodded. She opened her mouth to apologize again when Raph raised a hand to silence her.

"The next words outta ya mouth betta be g'night and not I'm sorry."

Kallie stuck her tongue out at him and the four turtles chuckled softly. They got to their feet after bidding her goodnight once more, and then they disappeared into their respective bedrooms. Kallie sank back down into the cushions, cocooning herself in the blankets. She didn't really want to go to sleep again, but she was exhausted. The emotional toll on her mind was starting to make itself known in a physical way, plus she had had very little sleep the previous night, or the night before that. Eventually she lost the consciousness struggle, and she succumbed to sleep.

OoOoOoO

Kallie awoke to the smell of bacon. She opened her eyes slowly and inhaled deeply. It smelled super delicious. She slowly sat up and noticed she wasn't in her apartment. Her heart slammed against her chest in panic.

And then she remembered.

Her apartment was gone.

"Morning!" A bright voice called.

Kallie turned and saw Michelangelo holding a mixing bowl as he stirred whatever contents were inside.

"Morning." Kallie mumbled. She wasn't really a morning person. It always took at least half an hour to a full hour for her to fully wake up.

Mike grinned at her. "Hope you like pancakes and bacon!"

Kallie wanted to scowl, but the look of absolute hope and genuine joy emanating from the orange banded turtle softened her non-morning loving heart and she smiled at him.

"I love pancakes. And of course everything tastes better with bacon." She told him.

"Dude…that is so true." Michelangelo replied.

"Do you mind if I use the restroom?" Kallie asked.

"Course not. It's down the hall and to your left, up the stairs." Mikey told her, walking back to the kitchen.

Kallie got up and made her way up the stairs as quietly as possible. She wasn't sure if any of the other turtles were awake yet or not and she didn't really wanna wake anyone up. She found the bathroom and she slid in, locking the door. She snorted in laughter when she saw the decorations.

Turtle decorations.

The shower curtain had baby turtles all over it. There were four toothbrushes sticking out of a turtle toothbrush holder. The soap dispenser dispensed soap out of a turtle's mouth. The tub had turtle anti-slipping pads on the bottom of it, all of them smiling widely. Kallie shook her head as she smiled widely to herself. She washed her face off and sighed at the pathetic looking person staring back at her.

She had dark bags under her eyes, her curly hair was even more unruly than normal, and she looked paler than normal too. She sighed as she pinched her cheeks to make herself look a bit less pale and more awake, and then proceeded to run her fingers through her hair to tame it a bit. Once she was satisfied that she no longer looked like a zombie she opened the door and made her way back down the stairs again. Mike was still in the kitchen and she cautiously walked inside.

"Need any help?" She offered.

"Nah. 'Sides, you're the guest here." Mike told her with a wink.

"Mind if I make a pot of coffee then?"

"It's already started. In fact, I assume Donnie will smell it soon. Although let me warn you, do not attempt to talk to the Donatello until the Donatello has had his morning cup of coffee." Mikey said, making himself sound like a national geographic narrator.

Kallie laughed. "Not much of a morning person is he?"

Mike barked out a laugh. "That's the understatement of the year."

"I'm not one for mornings either. We've never gotten along." She told him with a sigh.

Mike laughed. "Leo and me are the only ones who don't mind mornings. Well, Master Splinter doesn't either of course. He's normally up around 5am, Leo right along with him."

"Why do they get up so early?" She asked him.

"They both meditate and do a few kata's. Something about ensuring the mind and the body are prepared for the day blah, blah, blah." Mikey said, moving his hands up and down as if mimicking a mouth talking.

Kallie laughed. "So what's your excuse for being awake so early?"

Mikey shrugged. "I dunno. Just can't sleep in nowadays."

Kallie could tell there was more to the story, but she didn't press the issue. They were all being so very nice to her. She didn't wanna ruin it by asking questions that were too personal. Michelangelo was flipping pancakes now, stacking them high on a plate next to a pile of bacon. Kallie's stomach growled and she placed a hand over it, getting excited about the delicious smelling food. She heard shuffling footsteps and she turned to see a very sleepy looking Donatello walking straight for the coffee pot. She couldn't help but giggle softly. Mikey had been right, Donatello didn't even acknowledge their presence as he grabbed a large mug and filled it to the brim with the coffee.

"That's number 1 Donnie!" Mike said cheerfully.

Don merely grunted.

"1?" Kallie asked.

"He's on caffeine watch until further notice." Mike told her.

"Oh yeah, Leo was telling me about that."

"Did you sleep well Don?" Mike asked, his tone more than a little mischievous.

"Shuddup Mikey." Don grumbled.

"Mind if I get a cup?" Kallie asked.

"Sure. Cups are over there." Mike said, pointing to a cupboard. Kallie retrieved a mug and poured herself some coffee. She sat back down and tried not to laugh. Donatello was trying not to gulp down his coffee in one gulp, but was losing the battle. He released a satisfied sigh after draining his cup. He stood to his feet and poured himself another cup.

"2."

Don glared at his little brother. "I can count Michelangelo."

"You've only got two left Donatello." Mike replied grinning madly.

"Two what?" Raphael asked as he stretched his hands high above his hands, walking into the kitchen and taking a seat next to Kallie.

"Two more cups of coffee for the day. He's been up for all of two minutes and his working on his second one already." Mike informed him.

Raph snorted. "Might wanna slow down there Don."

Donnie scowled and Kallie snorted into her coffee.

"Mornin' Sweetness, sleep well?" Raph asked her with a smirk.

Kallie scowled at him. "What did I tell you about calling me Sweetness?"

"I don't listen very well." He replied.

"Ain't that the truth?" A voice said from the entryway. It was Leo and he was smirking slightly.

"If people had more interestin' things to say, I may pay attention betta." Raph defended.

Leo rolled his eyes as he took a seat next to Don and Raph.

"Alright dudes and dudette, breakfast is finished!" Mike announced, walking over with a huge plateful of pancakes and bacon. Mikey set the food down and then got plates out, handing one to each person at the table.

"This looks great Mikey, thanks." Leo said.

"I'm pretty much a cooking prodigy." Mikey replied.

Kallie laughed while Raph rolled his eyes. Donnie was looking a bit livelier as he grabbed some breakfast and started eating. Mikey sat down across from Kallie and started piling food on his plate as well.

"Where's Master Splinter?" Don asked.

"Meditating. He grabbed some cereal earlier." Leo replied.

"Another session?" Mike asked.

Leonardo nodded. "He's trying to get a sense of the attack on Kallie."

"He know somethin' we don't?" Raph asked.

Leo shrugged. "I'm not sure. He thinks there's something fishy going on that's for sure. This isn't the type of attack the Purple Dragons normally pull. We know it's not a Foot thing either…so who's behind this?"

Kallie sure as hell didn't know. She didn't even know anyone in this city besides the few people she talked to in class, Maggie, Sam, and now these guys. Her dad had died before they moved here so it couldn't be anyone who had known him. And her mom? Pfft. Yeah right. Her mom was more vanilla than ice cream. She felt their eyes on her so she looked up. She still hadn't said anything and she could tell they were waiting for her to make some sort of comment.

"I dunno…I mean, no one here really knows my family. I mean yeah my mom has a fancy job now, but she's beyond boring. The biggest risk she's ever taken in her life was choosing between Burger King and McDonald's for her lunch break." Kallie added.

Mikey laughed at that and even Leo smiled a bit.

"Don't worry, we'll figure it out." Leonardo assured her.

"Are you not hungry Kallie?" Mikey asked suddenly. Kallie looked at him and then down at her plate. She hadn't touched her food. In all honesty she didn't have much of an appetite. It smelled delicious, don't get her wrong, but the thought of food just wasn't appealing.

"I guess I'm not very hungry." She replied.

"Did you eat dinner last night before coming home?" Don asked.

"No."

"You didn't eat anything here either though did you?" Don asked.

"No." She replied, a bit of irritation lacing her voice.

"When was the last time you ate?" Don asked her.

Kallie released an irritated sigh. "What is with the 20 questions?"

Don smiled kindly at her. "Stress can cause a person to lose their appetite, but it's imperative that you eat anyway. Your body is obviously exhausted from the emotional toll but it will eventually turn into something that affects you physically. You need the fuel. Otherwise you could get sick."

Kallie scowled at him. "Anyone ever tell you that you're a know it all?"

Don chuckled. "Only almost every day of my life."

"Donnie's right though. Eating will help. It'll make you feel better." Leo added.

"Yeah, besides, I slaved over this hot stove to thoroughly impress you with the amazingness that is my cooking skills. The least you could do is eat the fruits of my labor." Mike inserted dramatically.

Kallie rolled her eyes and reluctantly ate a few bites. Her stomach protested the first few bites but eventually she grew hungry and happily ate the rest of her breakfast. The four turtles finished before her but stayed around to chat idly. Apparently April was coming over soon to bring a few outfits to Kallie. Kallie was a bit nervous about meeting April. The guys talked about her like they would a prized little sister. She got the feeling that they were fiercely protective of April. And Kallie guessed that April felt the same about them. Kallie felt as if she may be trespassing on protected territory.

"Told ya it was good." Mikey said with a smug smile as he took Kallie's empty plate. Kallie couldn't help but laugh.

"I hate to admit it, but you're right. You've got skills."

"See? Now, can I get that in writing? And possibly notarized and then framed?"

Kallie laughed again. "I'll see what I can do."

"Hello?" A voice rang out. A female voice. A female voice that had to belong to April. Kallie gulped and suddenly felt very self-conscious about the fact she was in pajamas and probably still looked like hell.

"April!" Mikey shouted in excitement as he scrambled out of the kitchen. Kallie's heart was hammering in her chest and she mentally chastised herself. She's never been this nervous about meeting anyone before.

"Hey guys! Sorry I'm so early, but I've got a delivery around 10. It's a short one though, but I've gotta be there to schmooze a bit."

"We're all up anyway." Kallie heard Donnie say.

"So where is she?" She heard April ask.

Kallie squared her shoulders and took a deep breath.

"Yo, Kallie! Get in here!" Raph yelled.

Kallie rolled her eyes as she made her way into the living room. She saw a tall, older woman with fiery red hair smiling at the four turtles. April looked up and met Kallie's eyes. April's eyes softened and she smiled kindly. Kallie relaxed a bit as she met up with the group. April had deep green eyes and the chick was tall too. Like, a good four inches taller than Kallie.

"Hi! I'm April, it's so nice to finally meet you. And I am so very sorry about your place." April told her, extending her hand.

Kallie grasped it. "It's nice to meet you too, and thank you."

"So your name is Kaliyah?"

Kallie nodded. "Yeah, but please call me Kallie."

"She hates her full name." Mikey supplied.

April laughed. "Sounds like four turtles I know."

"My mom is a bit on the weird side."

"I think all parents can be a bit on the weird side at times. You're a bit…er…_smaller_ than I thought, these might be a bit long." April said carefully, handing a plastic bag to Kallie.

Kallie laughed softly. "It's okay, I really appreciate this. I have a lot to do today but first I'm gonna go shopping for a few new outfits."

"Do you need any help?" April asked.

Kallie shook her head. "Nah. I'll be fine. Just gotta hit the bank, the stores, then the insurance place, possibly the police to file a report, then back to my friend Maggie."

"Do you need something from her?" Donatello asked.

"No. I'm gonna be staying with her from now on."

The turtles looked shocked.

"Why?!" Mikey asked, his voice a bit on the shrill side.

"Well I can't stay here now can I? I've put y'all through enough, I can't possibly impose any longer."

"Nonsense. Besides, we have no idea who's behind this whole thing. If you're here, we can keep an eye on you." Leonardo stated.

Kallie held her hands up and shook her head. "No I really can't…"

"I agree with Leonardo." An older voice said. Everyone turned to look at Master Splinter making his way towards the group.

"Hello Ms. O'Neil." He greeted.

"Hi Splinter!" She greeted back brightly.

"Kaliyah, it is imperative that you stay safe. Your life is obviously in danger and we cannot allow you to be unprotected. I must insist that you stay here." Master Splinter told her.

Kallie wanted to argue some more but she didn't. The old rat seemed genuinely worried about her safety. And if a ninja rat was worried about her, then there was obviously something to worry about.

"Well…thanks. I appreciate it." Kallie said.

"So you'll stay?" Mikey asked enthusiastically.

Kallie grinned. "Yeah Mikey, I'll stay."

Mike grinned widely. "I think that's the first time you've called me Mikey…awe…we're having a moment."

Kallie rolled her eyes while everyone else chuckled.

"If you need some help running your errands I'll be more than happy to drive you around town." April offered.

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly impose." Kallie stated.

April held her hand up. "It's no trouble at all. I have a delivery but after that I can help you out."

"You probably shouldn't be walking around alone right now either. Whoever it was that did this obviously knows your every movement. The less surface time the better." Leonardo said.

"Those bastards aren't gonna keep me from living my life." Kallie stated fiercely.

Mikey ducked his head, desperately trying not to smile or laugh. Kallie's accent just got super thick; the 'i' in life emphasized dramatically. Unfortunately he lost the battle and a snort escaped her lips.

"What the hell is so funny?" Kallie snapped.

Mike barked a laugh. "I'm sorry…but you're accent just got so much thicker!"

Kallie scowled at him. "It happens when I'm pissed off."

"I hope you get mad a lot then.' Mike replied. "Ow! Raph!" Mikey added as Raphael smacked the back of his little brother's head.

"I won't take no for an answer." April insisted.

Kallie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to be overruled in every little thing I try to do?"

April laughed. "You'll get used to it. I'll be back after lunch. We'll make it a girl's day. Plus, I gotta get to know you better since you're becoming close to my family."

Kallie smiled ever so slightly. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"No problem! I'll see you guys later!" April said and then walked out. The boys and Master Splinter bid her goodbye and then all eyes were on me again.

"Do you need us for anything?" Leonardo asked.

Kallie shook her head.

"Alright, feel free to watch some T.V. or anything you'd like. We'll be back in about two hours." Leo told her.

Kallie's eyes widened. "You're leaving?!"

Leo looked slightly alarmed at the fear in Kallie's eyes. "No, no, don't worry, we're not. We've got practice this morning. We'll just be in the dojo."

"Practice?" Kallie asked.

"Ninja practice." Mikey answered mysteriously with a wiggle of his fingers.

"Can I watch? I'd love to see what y'all can do."

Leo looked to Master Splinter.

"Of course child." Master Splinter replied.

Kallie grinned. She ran to the bathroom, shower and changed into the clothes April had given her. The jeans were long but she cuffed the bottoms of them. The long sleeve maroon sweater was long as well so she pushed the sleeves up. She pulled her wet curly hair into a messy bun and then made her way back down stairs.

"Alright, show me what y'all got!"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Apologies for being soooooo very late with this update! I threw out my back! That's right, I threw out my back. Apparently I'm an 80 year old in a 24 year old body! GAH! So yeah I've been in a lot of pain and having been able to write very well since I've been doped up on pain killers and muscle relaxers. I'm feeling a bit better though and so I finished this chapter and working on the next two. I promise I will update MUCH faster next time. Lol. So there's some extra fluff and funnies in this chapter to make up for the late post! Thanks for being patient y'all! =]]**

**Disclaimer: I thought perhaps since I was hurt I could have em. But alas, no sympathy for the broken and I still don't own them. **

Chapter 7: Ninja Moves and Shopping.

Watching the guy's practice their ninja stuff was probably the most interesting thing Kallie had ever seen before. Kallie would've been impressed whether were mutant ninja turtles or if they were humans. They were so…graceful. That was really the only word for it. They moved so fluidly, almost as if they were swimming. It was beautiful to watch. Not that Kallie would tell them that they looked beautiful, that was sure to be some kind of ninja insult.

The boys started out with doing a few 'Kata's,' which Kallie thought meant 'ninja dance' even though she knew it didn't. Leo was obviously the better of the four of them, well…maybe not better, just more focused. His eyes seemed to just burn with intensity. Donatello was probably next in line for most focused. He moved lithely as well, but you could see the cogs of his mind turning as he moved, anticipating his next step. Whereas Leonardo looked as if it came as naturally as breathing. Raphael was good, but you could tell he was losing patience quickly. He was itching to move on and it was apparent in every movement. And Michelangelo…well…Mikey just looked bored. He was moving much quicker than the rest of them, trying to finish fast. Every so often you would hear Master Splinter mutter a quick 'Michelangelo' before bringing a hand to his eyes and shaking his head. Kallie couldn't help but giggle.

Soon though the Kata's were done and it was time for sparring. Kallie sat up a bit straighter, very interested in seeing how the guys fought. The only other times she'd seen them in action, she'd actually been a bit too freaked out, and practically unconscious, to really pay attention.

"Leonardo you shall face Michelangelo." Master Splinter said.

"Awe Sensei…" Mikey whined.

"Hai Sensei." Leo replied dutifully.

"Donatello you shall face Raphael."

"Hai Sensei." Donnie replied.

"My pleasure." Raph replied cracking his knuckles. Don rolled his eyes.

"Begin." Master Splinter said. Leo and Mike were up first. Leo unsheathed his Katana's and Mikey twirled his Nunchuck's and then they charged one another.

Leo took a swipe at Mike's head, but Mike quickly ducked and brought his legs to swipe at Leo's. Leo jumped, flipping backwards and running towards the youngest turtle again. Mikey lunged towards Leo's right side and grabbed his wrist. Leo seemed unfazed though, and he simply twirled his body to face the opposite way Mikey was and effortlessly threw him over his shoulder. Mike yelped as his shell hit the floor, but he tugged on the hand holding his and soon Leo came crashing to the floor as well. Leonardo jumped to his feet almost immediately as Mikey did the same. Leo tightened his grip on his swords and went into a twirling motion as he tried to strike his brother. Mikey constantly moved and managed to miss each swipe. Leo was fast but Mikey just seemed to be that much faster. Kallie was completely engrossed in the sparring session. It was so very fascinating and mesmerizing to watch. Finally though, Leo caught Mike off guard as he hit his shell with the butt of his sword causing Mikey to stumble. Leo then kicked the back of Mike's knees, causing him to fall on the ground. Leo quickly flipped Mike onto his shell, pinning him there whit his forearm against Mikey's throat. Mikey was panting and even Leo seemed a bit out of breath.

"Do you yield?" Leo asked.

Mikey grinned up at him. "Dude, I almost had you."

"Do you yield?" Leo asked again, trying to suppress his own grin.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Mikey said with a roll of his eyes. Leo got up and offered Mike a hand up. Mike took it and thumped Leo in the back of his head before dancing away.

"Mikey!" Leo cried. Mikey cackled and took a seat next to Kallie.

"That was really cool." Kallie told him.

"I know I am." Mikey replied. Kallie laughed and rolled her eyes at him.

"So Raph and Don go next?" She asked.

"Yup. And whoever wins that round faces Leo. And by whoever I mean Raph." Mikey replied.

Leo sat down on Kallie's other side. "That's not necessarily true Mikey. Donatello could win."

Mike snorted. "Sure he can."

"I can hear you, you know?" Don said, sounding offended.

"Oh well then," said Mikey. "Let me say it quieter so next time you don't hear me insult you."

Donatello rolled his eyes and then yelped as Raph charged him, tackling him to the ground. Don slipped out from under Raph after a few seconds of struggling, once he was on his feet he grabbed his Bo, twirling it menacingly before jabbing towards Raphael. Raph sucked in his gut and missed the jab. Raph got his Sai's out and rushed at his younger brother. Don rolled to the side just in time, but Raphael was undeterred and he simply back flipped his way towards Donatello. Don spun his Bo like a helicopter blade but Raph simply ducked jumped over him and knocked his legs out from under him. Donatello crashed to the floor and then let out an 'Oof' as Raph straddled him, a Sai at his throat.

"Do ya yield?" Raph asked the same as Leo had.

"Yes." Don chocked out.

Raphael smirked and hauled Donatello to his feet. Raphael looked at Leonardo with an evil grin as he walked to the middle of the dojo. Leonardo looked focused of course, but there was something in his eyes…Kallie wasn't a hundred percent sure what it was…but it almost looked like…apprehension.

"Ya ready Leo-nerd-o?"

"I'm always ready Raphael." Leo replied emotionlessly.

"Boys, we will not have a repeat of last time, understood?" Master Splinter stated, rather than asked.

"Hai Sensei." Raph and Leo replied, bowing to the old rat and then to each other.

"What happened last time?" Kallie asked.

"They went a little overboard," said Mikey. "Leo ended up with a broken wrist and Raph a concussion."

Kallie gasped. "Why would they do that to each other?"

Donatello grimaced. "They take sibling rivalry to a whole other level."

"Why?" Kallie asked.

Mike looked a bit uncomfortable. "It's just the way they are." He answered somewhat mysteriously. Kallie knew that he was avoiding telling the whole truth, but she didn't pry. They hadn't pried when it came to her family so she wasn't going to pry when it came to theirs.

Kallie looked back towards the practice mat and soon it was hard to tell what was going on. Leo and Raph moved _fast_. Like, really, really fast. The sparring session was fierce. The sound of metal clinking against metal resounding through the dojo. There were slight grunts as fists made contact with flesh. Whenever Leo struck, Raph was there to block. Whenever Raph charged to tackle, Leo moved away. It almost looked like dancing. Leo moved, Raph countered that move, Leo flipped, Raph slid; and over and over and over again.

"They're so…" Kallie trailed off, not knowing exactly what to say.

"Fierce." Donatello supplied.

"Yeah, it's almost as if they're trying to prove something." Kallie commented.

Michelangelo snorted. "That's cos' they are."

Kallie looked at him with a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

Don sent his younger brother a look. "They're just passionate about their fighting." Donatello told Kallie.

Kallie saw Mikey roll his eyes. She was going to ask another question when she heard a loud clang. Leonardo was bearing down on Raphael; his swords pushing against Raph's Sai's. Neither one was backing down, each boy giving it everything he got.

"Enough." Master Splinter commanded.

"But Sensei, he's about to—"

Master Splinter raised a hand and cut off Raphael's words. Leo and Raph stepped away from each other, both panting for breath. They bowed to one another but Kallie saw something in their eyes…anger?

"Good practice my sons. You may rest now and we shall begin again after lunch." Master Splinter said, getting to his feet and walking out of the room.

Raph and Leo made their way towards their brother's and Kallie. All of them were sweating from their workout but no one seemed tired or too out of breath. In fact, it seemed this whole ninja thing came as natural to all of them as breathing did.

Kallie got to her feet and smiled at them. "That was pretty amazing."

"Thanks." Leo replied with a smile.

"Do you guys do this every day?" She asked.

Donnie nodded. "Twice a day most days, then there are Kata's that happen three times a day, and of course meditation several times throughout the day. We practice more of course if there is a pressing situation. We do nightly patrols as well."

"Do you ever get a day off?" Kallie asked.

"Of course. We get all federal holidays off." Mikey replied with a grin.

Kallie smirked but rolled her eyes. "By the way, y'all need a shower. You're all sweaty and gross." She commented.

Mikey grinned mischievously at her. "So you probably wouldn't want a hug right now would you?"

Kallie's eyes grew wide and she instinctively took a step back. "Don't even think about it."

Mikey took a step towards her. "Aw c'mon Kallie, I just wanna hug!"

Kallie raised her hands as if to ward him off. "Stay away from me Michelangelo."

Donnie, Raph, and Leo were grinning at her; knowing that nothing was going to stop Mikey now.

"I'd run if I were you Kallie." Donnie said with a grin.

"I'd head his warning _Kaliyah_." Mikey said.

And Kallie booked it.

She turned and ran as fast as she could out of the dojo, Mikey hot on her heels. She should've known she couldn't out run him. He was extremely fast. And of course he's also a ninja, which means there was no way she'd be able to get away. Kallie ran for the kitchen, trying to get the table between her and Mikey. Luckily she succeeded in that. Although, she thought maybe he wasn't trying his hardest at the moment. Mikey was grinning at her from the other side of the table, not even panting for breath.

"C'mon Kallie, one little hug that's all I'm asking! I did kinda save your life." Mikey said.

Kallie rolled her eyes. "All four of y'all save my life. So I'd have to hug everyone and not just you."

"True. But, Raph isn't a hugger, neither is Leo for that matter and Donnie's just awkward. Trust me, it's me you wanna hug." Mikey argued.

"Shower first," said Kallie. "And maybe then I'll hug you."

Mikey's baby blue eyes sparkled and Kallie had less than a second to realize she was in trouble as Mikey simply flipped over the table and then grabbed her into a tight, _wet_ hug.

"EW! Ugh gross Mikey! Let me go!" Kallie protested, trying to wriggle out of his grip. Her face was in the middle of his plastron since she was so short. She couldn't see the others, but she heard all three of them chuckling. Mikey squeezed her tightly once and then let go, grinning down at her.

"That is disgusting! Now I gotta shower!" She complained.

"Not before me! Dibs!" Mikey yelled as he danced away, hitting the side of the wall with his feet and propelling himself over the stairs railing. A few seconds later the shower turned on and Mikey was singing some kind of poppy song horribly out of tune.

Kallie glared at the other three. "Y'all could've helped ya know!" She complained, wiping the sweat off of her hands and arms.

"This was so much more fun though." Donatello replied with a smile. Kallie simply glared.

"He's done it to all of us at one point in time. Consider yourself lucky. One time he slipped in a mud puddle while patrolling and he somehow pulled all of us down with him." Leo said, shaking his head and grinning at the memory.

"We got him back though, He was coughin' up mud fer weeks." Raph replied with a smirk.

Kallie laughed at that and was about to retort when her phone rang. She slipped the cell phone out of her pocket and didn't recognize the number, but answered anyways.

"Hello?"

"Kaliyah? Thank God! I thought you were dead! I saw the news and heard about the fire at your apartment!"

It was her mother.

Kallie's heart race picked up and she felt the walls closing in on her as she always did when she talked to her mother. She knew her face must've gone pale because the three turtles were looking down at her with concern. Her mother was saying her name, trying to get her to talk.

"Kaliyah! Please, talk to me! I thought I had lost you! Why didn't you call me and let me know what happened?! Are you hurt? Who are you staying with? KALIYAH!"

Kallie took a deep breath. "I'm fine mother."

Kallie heard her mother sigh in relief. "Thank God. Kaliyah, I've been so worried. Why didn't you call me?"

"Because I'm fine, I'm not hurt or anything so there was no need to call you."

"No need to call me," said her mother, her voice full of anger. "Kaliyah your apartment was destroyed and you thought there was no need to call me?!"

"Mom…" Kallie sighed.

"No, don't 'mom' me!" Kallie's mom responded heatedly. "I don't give a damn how angry you are with me! Don't you ever, _ever_, do something like this again do you hear me? I am your mother and I love you! I don't ever want to have to learn about how you are doing from the news or your friends or any other source except from _you_. Do I make myself clear?"

Kallie's temper rose. "You can't tell me what to do anymore, I'm a grown adult!"

"You are still my child!" Her mother argued.

"But you can't treat me like one," argued Kallie. "If I want to let you know something then I will! But you don't make that decision. _I_ do!"

"Kaliyah, I will not allow you to keep me in the dark when it comes to your safety!"

"Since when do you care?!" Kallie demanded her voice slightly hysterical and her accent getting thicker. Her mother had a habit of always bringing that shrillness out of her voice.

"I've always cared!"

"Liar! You've never cared about what I want or how I'm feeling! You always just do whatever the hell you want! You don't think about how anyone else may feel or how they think of the situation. It's your way or no way!" Kallie shouted.

"That's not true!"

"Yes it is! What about when you married—" Kallie saw the guys looking at her and she cut herself off. "You know what? I'm not having this conversation with you right now." Kallie said tiredly. "I'm fine. I lost all of my belongings, but I'm fine. If anything else changes I will let you know." And with that she hung up. Kallie felt drained, as she always did after talking with her mother. She sunk into a kitchen chair, putting her head in her hands.

"Are you okay?" She heard Leonardo ask.

Kallie sighed. "Yeah, that was just my mom."

"I take it you two don't get along?" Raphael asked.

Kallie laughed bitterly. "No, no we don't."

Just then Mikey made his way towards them; his grin fading the closer he got to Kallie. "What's up? What happened?" He asked.

Kallie looked up at him and tried for a smile. "I'm fine. It was just my mom, she's got a way to bring the worst outta me."

"Did she yell at you about the fire?" Mikey asked.

Kallie nodded. "Yeah, she tried to get all maternal on me and I don't take to that too well. Me and authority have always had trouble."

"Sounds like Raph." Mikey commented.

"Don't make me hit ya in front of Kallie." Raph told Mikey. Mikey grinned and stuck his tongue out at his brother. That made Kallie smile slightly.

"Hello?" A voice rang out. There were footsteps and then April popped into the kitchen.

"That was fast." Donnie said.

"Casey actually had everything in order for once!" April laughed.

"Man, what's he suckin' up for?" Raph asked with a smirk.

"Probably wants to go out patrolling tonight. I've asked him not to for the past week because we've been so swamped with deliveries." April replied.

"We ain't been out with him in a while. Ya gonna let him come out and play?" Raph asked with a smirk.

April laughed. "Probably. Besides, he hasn't met Kallie yet."

"Casey's the one Raph met right?" Kallie asked.

April nodded. "Yup. That's my man." She said with a smile.

"You two are going out?" Kallie asked.

"Have been for a few years now," said April. "Although I hated him at first. He was arrogant, rude, selfish, and absolutely irritating. He's grown on me since then though."

Kallie laughed at that.

"You ready to go shopping?" April asked.

Kallie nodded. "Yeah, let me just get my purse." Kallie left to get it and April turned to the guys.

"Why don't we all have dinner together tonight?" April suggested. "That way Casey can meet Kallie and then go on patrol with you four while and Kallie's not alone."

"That's a great idea April!" Donnie responded.

"Ya think Case would be up fer comin' up earlier? I'm workin' on a few new features on my bike." Raph said.

"Sure, call him." April said.

Kallie was making her way back to the group. "You know, I can cook."

They turned to face her. "Well, most everyone knows how to cook." Donnie said.

Mikey snorted. "Not Leo."

"Hey! I am not that bad!" Leo defended.

"Bro, ya stand too close to the stove and it catches on fire." Raph said.

Kallie laughed. "No, I mean I can cook. Like, really well. My Dad taught me. He was a chef before he joined the military. He taught me everything he knew. If I can get the right ingredients I can make y'all chicken parmesan."

Mikey's and Raph's eyes grew wide. "Please find the right ingredients!" Mikey begged.

Kallie laughed. "Is that alright with you? Stopping by a grocery store?"

April nodded. "That's fine by me! I could eat some pasta!"

Mikey threw his arms around Kallie's small form. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Kallie laughed and wriggled herself out of his embrace. "Alright, alright you goof. Dinner's on me then. It's the least I can do for y'alls hospitality."

Mikey grinned. "I love it when she says y'all."

Kallie rolled her eyes, but couldn't help and return his grin.

"Thanks Kallie, that's awfully kind of you." Leonardo said.

"Let's get going then! We've got a lot of shopping to do before dinner!" April said.

Kallie waved to the guys and followed April. She was nervous about going out with April, the woman was obviously very kind, but Kallie knew that she was protective of the four turtles and Kallie didn't want her thinking she was taking advantage of their kindness. Kallie wanted to ensure that April knew that Kallie could be trusted.

And she had all day to prove that.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks again for all the lovely reviews! I oh so look forward to them! Here's chapter 8 and I hope you love it!**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, I still don't own them. Although in my pain medicated induced dreams I did own them. However, it was the Percocet talking. Sigh…**

Chapter 8: Meeting Casey Jones and Learning Some New Moves

Kallie was very apprehensive when she first got into the car. April of course seemed totally at ease, chattering away about how she met the guys. Kallie smiled and nodded, listening to her story while also going over everything she had to get done.

They hit the bank first. Kallie didn't really want to, but she needed to dip into her savings account to purchase the things she needed. Her dad had left her almost a hundred grand when he died. His life insurance policy was almost half a million and a hundred thousand of that went directly to his only child; Kallie. Kallie didn't want to touch the money of course, she felt as if it were sympathy money and she tried her hardest not to use it, which is why she had two jobs. She earned that money and she felt better for using that. She had only used her dad's money to help for books and her apartment. She kinda had to start all over now though. She didn't have any clothes, she'd need a new place, new school books, new piano and violin, new everything. Kallie's heart clenched tightly as she thought about her photo album. She felt tears sting at the corner of her eyes and she quickly blinked them away. She had already broken down once, she wasn't going to do it again.

April waited patiently in the car while Kallie got her money. After the bank they went to Kallie's insurance agent. Kallie filled out the necessary paperwork and her agent told her she should be receiving a compensation check within the next few weeks. Kallie wasn't sure what address to give her now, but April spoke up and gave hers and Casey's apartment address. Kallie smiled gratefully at April and the older woman returned the grin and patted her on the shoulder. The police station was next on the list. Kallie was told that the fire department had deemed it an accident. This shocked Kallie. Had they not seen her fire detector was unplugged? Kallie was about to protest when April cut her off.

"Thank you officer, it's such a relief to know that it was just an accident." April said kindly to the cop, with a pointed look at Kallie.

Kallie understood immediately. "Yeah, thanks. Do I uh, need to fill out any paperwork or anything?"

The cop shook his head. "Nope. You're good to go. Let us know if you need anything alright?"

Kallie nodded and turned to leave. She stopped though and turned to look at the cop again. "Did…did anything survive?" She asked, swallowing thickly.

The cop gave her a grim look. "No ma'am. I'm sorry."

Kallie nodded clumsily and gave her thanks before she bolted out of the police station. April followed her and they climbed back into the car. Kallie's heart was racing again and she was short of breath. April hesitated before starting the car.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

Kallie nodded. "M'fine. Please, let's just…let's just get outta here."

April started the car and soon they were heading to the mall. Once there Kallie and April started trying to rebuild her wardrobe. Kallie had simple taste in clothing; jeans and a t-shirt with her Chucks were A-Okay with her. April, however, was absolutely appalled and tried to insist skirts, and dresses with leggings and boots. April held up yet another sweater dress and looked hopefully at Kallie.

Kallie laughed. "April, there is no way I'm wearing that!"

"Why not?" April demanded. "I saw that dress you were wearing earlier, back at the lair! This is longer and made for warmer weather."

Kallie blushed a deep scarlet. "That's for work."

April smiled at her. "Well, you need a few more for work don't you?"

Kallie sighed. "Fine!"

April squealed with joy and the two continued to shop. In the end Kallie got five pairs of jeans, 6 sweaters, 5 new t-shirts, 5 new plaid button ups with matching cami's, five Christmas festive type of dresses that she would wear for work, 3 sweater dresses (courtesy of April O'Neil who apparently didn't understand the word 'no'), 3 pairs of high heels, 2 pairs of boots, a new pair of Chucks, a new winter coat with gloves and a scarf, and of course some sleepwear. She purchased all the necessities as well; socks, underwear, bras, etc. All in all she spent well over twenty-five hundred dollars. Kallie planned on replacing it immediately. The good thing about The Duplex was that tips came in the hundreds during Christmas. Everyone always felt more generous and since Thanksgiving had just passed, Christmas was now in full swing. Kallie actually only had two more weeks of school before finals. She was considering asking to take her finals earlier so she could deal with her burnt apartment. She was sure her professors wouldn't mind.

"Thanks." Kallie said to April.

"Anytime!" April replied with a bright smile.

"You really didn't have to do this."

April waved her off. "Don't sweat it. I wanted to do this, I wanted to help. You lost everything and well…I know how that feels." April replied, starting the car and driving away.

Kallie looked at with confusion. "You do?"

April nodded. "You see…I lost my first home in a fire. The guys saved me, Casey too of course. It was an old antique shop that belonged to my dad. There was nothing left. I felt empty and scared of course. But the guys and Casey were there for me when I didn't have anybody else."

Kallie swallowed thickly. She felt sad, yet relieved that someone knew what she was going through. "I'm sorry." She told April.

April smiled softly. "Me too, but I survived and I know you will too. And me and the guys are gonna do everything we can to help you out."

"It's weird…"

"What's weird?" April asked.

"I've just…I've never needed anyone's help before." Kallie said.

April scoffed slightly. "Don't be ridiculous, everyone needs help at times."

"Not me," said Kallie. "I've made it my personal mission never to need anyone's help."

"Why is that?" April asked.

"Because people let you down." Kallie replied simply.

April's eyes widened in surprise at the answer. "Surely you don't really believe that."

"I do though…well, I did…I dunno anymore. Leo and the others, and you and Splinter…y'all are…"

"We're what?" April urged.

"Different." Kallie said lamely. "I know that sounds super lame, but it's the only word I can think of. Y'all are different. You don't expect things in return, you just do things for strangers for no reason! It's weird! I've never met someone like that in this city before."

"New York can be a pretty harsh place," said April. "But there is good in it and there are good people who live in it as well. They're just few and far in between."

Kallie snorted. "You got that right."

"Well, don't give up hope on this city or its inhabitants. There's good everywhere, you just gotta look for it."

OoOoOoO

They arrived back at the lair close to 4:30 in the afternoon. They had stopped at a grocery store right before the went to the lair so that they could get the necessary ingredients for Kallie's dinner.

"Hello? A little help here!" April called out.

"I've got the food!" Kallie heard Mikey yell. And before she knew it the groceries were snatched out of her hand.

"Hey!" Kallie cried indignantly.

"This looked a bit heavy Kallie, I thought I'd be the perfect gentleman and grab it from you." Mikey defended.

Kallie rolled her eyes. "Fine, but if you touch anything in that bag I'll chop of your hands."

Mikey looked at her in mock horror. "Such violence!"

"You haven't seen anything yet." She warned.

"Noted!" Mikey replied as he saluted her and nimbly went to the kitchen.

"Sorry about that, he's…" Leo trailed off.

Kallie laughed. "It's fine."

"Did you guys get everything you needed?" Don asked.

April smiled and nodded. "She should be good for a few weeks."

"I hope you know I was forced to purchase things I didn't want to." Kallie commented. "She's a bit controlling."

"Ain't that the truth?" A voice said from behind. April and Kallie spun around. April laughed the stranger off.

"Oh hush you. Casey, this is Kallie, Kallie this is my boyfriend Casey." April introduced.

Kallie looked up, and she really had to look up, at the man in front of her. She barely came to his shoulder! Dude was tall! He had black hair that was parted down the middle and barely reached the edge of his neck. He was very broad shouldered and more than fit. He was wearing a long sleeved gray shirt with dark jeans and heavy working boots. He had to be at least a good 6'2 tall. His thumbs were tucked in his belt loops as he looked down at Kallie and smiled.

"Jeez she really is small." Casey commented, his heavy accent reminded Kallie of Raphael's.

Kallie frowned at him and opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind when Mikey cut in.

"I'd be careful dude, she's got a temper like Raph's."

Kallie scowled at Mikey who just grinned and winked at her.

Casey laughed. "That is rather frightening."

"Damn right it is." Kallie replied.

Casey laughed again. "Nice to meet ya finally kid. These knuckleheads haven't shut up about ya all week."

"Nice to meet you too. Although, comment on my height again and I'll have to take drastic measures." Kallie replied shaking Casey's hand.

"Hey now, ya ain't gotta worry about that. I'll be good, scouts honor." Casey told her, still grinning.

April scoffed. "You don't know how to be good."

Casey looked offended. "I do too. I'm a good guy remember?"

April waved him off. "Yeah, yeah."

"Yeah, 'sides, I couldn't have a sidekick that wasn't a good guy." Raphael said from upstairs. All heads turned to him as he made his way down stairs.

"Hey, I ain't no sidekick. You're the sidekick. Sidekick." Casey added.

Raph smirked. "Don't make me kick yer ass in front of our new guest."

Casey scoffed. "Bring it on sidekick!"

"Alright! Enough you two! We've got dinner to make and if you want to goof off and wrestle, do it in the dojo." April said.

"Way to suck the fun right out this place." Casey muttered.

April turned a sharp eye at him and he blanched before retreating to the dojo, Raph following.

"Do you need any help cooking dinner?" Leo asked.

"Not from you Leo," said April. "You'll burn the whole kitchen down."

"I am _not_ that bad!" Leo cried.

Mikey laughed. "Bro, you are that bad."

"His cooking skills do leave a lot to be desired." Donatello added with a wry smile.

Kallie laughed. "Don't worry about it guys. I've got it, I promise. Y'all sit down and relax and dinner will be done in about an hour and a half."

"Where do you want your things?" April asked.

Kallie shrugged. "I dunno…there's probably not any room…." She felt her face heating up again in embarrassment.

"No need to turn red Kallie! We've got a spare bedroom next to my room!" Mikey replied enthusiastically, smirking slightly at the redness of Kallie's face.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Of course, we were using it for storage but while you're cooking dinner we'll fix it up for you." Donatello responded.

"You don't have to—"

Leo held a hand up, silencing her. "We know we don't have to. We want to. It'll be done by the time dinner is."

Kallie opened her mouth to argue further, but she decided against it and gave them a tiny nod before walking to the kitchen to start dinner.

Soon the lair was filled with the delicious aroma of the pasta and chicken. Mikey hovered over her every once in a while, until Leo called him back upstairs to help. April helped Kallie in the kitchen and she was the one that called everyone down to dinner.

"Come and get it!" April yelled.

Soon everyone was huddled around the table and eating.

"I'm impressed." Mikey said with a mouthful of pasta.

"Ditto." Raph said.

"Why thank you." Kallie replied with a smile. "It's been a while since I've cooked a big meal like this. I forgot how much I loved it."

"Well feel free to cook here as much as you'd like!" Mikey responded.

Kallie laughed. "It's the least I could do. Y'all are being so generous."

"The room is finished by the way. You should be able to use it for a while. At least until we find out who's after you." Leo responded.

"Speaking of that," said Kallie. "What's the plan?"

"We are still discussing that. Whoever sent that note is keeping an eye on you. We are hoping that hiding you will give us more time." Master Splinter answered.

"We're also keeping an eye out on your friends and your workplace." Leo added.

Kallie felt relieved. "Thanks."

"Of course. We don't think any real harm will come to them, but it's always good to have an extra eye out." Leo responded.

"I wish I knew what combination they were talking about." Kallie commented.

"Don't worry too much about it. We don't even know who it is that sent that note. That's the first step, figure out the who then we can figure out they why and what." Donatello told her.

Kallie snorted. "Telling me not to worry is like telling the Titanic not to hit the iceberg."

Everyone laughed at that.

"We've got till the end of next week to figure this out. And we will figure it out. You don't have to worry about that." Leo told her, his expression fierce.

Kallie nodded and felt slightly more at ease. Though she knew this was far from over.

OoOoOoO

Dinner was done and the dishes were cleaned. April and Casey had left and Master Splinter retreated to his room. Now it was just Kallie and the boys. They were in the dojo watching Donnie and Mikey spar, Leo being the ref. There wasn't a night practice since dinner ran a little late, but Leo was adamant about getting a few sparring sessions in before they went on patrol.

"Ya doin' okay?" Raph asked her suddenly.

Kallie looked up at him. "M'fine." She responded.

Raph looked at her with unbelief. "Right, and I'm the friggin' Queen of England."

"You are a bit on the feminine side." Kallie quipped.

Raphael growled. "Watch girl." But he was smiling slightly at her.

"Bring it on." She replied with a smirk.

Raph rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his brother's.

"I wish I could do that." Kallie commented as Mikey threw Donnie over his shoulder and pinned him to the ground.

Raph quirked a brow at her. "Really?"

Kallie nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty cool. Plus, you guys can't follow me everywhere I go. I have to get back to school and work eventually, it might be a good idea to know a few defensive movements."

Raph tilted his head before nodding. "Ya've got a point."

Kallie looked surprised. "Really?"

Raph shrugged. "Sure, why not? We can teach ya few things."

Kallie jumped to her feet. "Let's do this!"

"Do what?" Mikey asked as he helped Donnie to his feet.

"Kallie wants to learn a few defensive moves." Raph replied.

"Cool!" Mike replied.

Leo looked unsure. "I don't know…are you sure you can handle it?"

Kallie scowled at him. "I can handle anything you have to dish out."

Leo smiled and put his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Just…be careful with her guys."

Kallie had already changed into a loose pair of sweats and a t-shirt plus she was barefoot so she was more than ready to do a little roughhousing. The four turtles walked her to the middle of the padded floor.

"Alright we can show you three simple moves tonight before we have to leave to go patrolling." Leo said. "We'll start with blocking. C'mere Mike."

Mikey made his way over to them and grinned at Kaliyah. "Two basic blocks," said Mikey. "Bring your right arm up and hold it vertically with your elbow tucked into your side."

Kallie mimicked the movement.

"Good, that will block anything that comes at you from the chest up. Observe." Mikey said as he raised a leg and lightly tapped her arm. "See?"

"That seems pretty easy." She commented, then squeaked as a fist came flying at her. She brought her arm up and blocked it the way Mike had just shown her.

"Good. You didn't let me hit you in your face!" Mikey said brightly.

Kallie glared at him. "A little warning next time!"

"The bad guys aren't going to warn you." Leo told her.

Kallie glared at him as well. Raph barked a laugh and came up to her next. "Alright, blockin' is all well and good, but ya gotta be able to counter attack."

Kallie nodded as Raph called Mikey to him. "Watch this."

Raph reared his hand back and sent it flying towards Mikey's face. Mike moved to the side and caught the fist and then threw Raphael over his shoulder, the red clad turtle falling on his shell.

"Good demonstration Mike." Raph muttered from the floor. Kallie laughed while Michelangelo just looked smug.

"I don't think I can throw one of you over my shoulder." Kallie admitted.

"Try Donnie, he weighs the least outta all of us." Mikey replied.

"That because I don't stuff my face full of pizza 24/7." Donatello said, poking Mike in his side. Mike 'eeped' and flinched away from the poke. Kallie ducked her head to hid her grin. So Michelangelo is ticklish? That's hilarious. Somehow ninja and ticklish just didn't seem to go hand in hand. Kallie was greatly amused but Donatello was walking up towards her and they were waiting for her to attempt the movement.

"Alright, let's do this in slow motion first. First, Kallie, grab his wrist. Donnie, extend your arm as if you're about to punch her." Leo instructed. Kallie and Don did as they were told. "Good, now bend your knees Kallie, yeah like that. What you're gonna do next is pull on his wrist until his chest hits your shoulder." Kallie tugged and Donnie came willingly, trying to make it as easy on her as possible. "Good, know release his wrist and grab right underneath his bicep. Bend your knees again and then throw him right over your shoulder. Use that momentum and try not to fall backwards yourself."

Kallie took a deep breath and did as instructed. Mikey and Raph were right behind her, ready to catch her if need be. Kallie released his wrist, grabbed his bicep and then hauled Donatello right over her shoulder, with the help of Raph and Mikey. They grabbed him and helped haul him over her shoulder. Kallie was panting for breath from the exertion of hauling a 250 pound turtle over her shoulder.

"Your form was great! Keep practicing and you'll be able to do without any help!" Leo said encouragingly.

"Really?" Kallie panted. "You think so?"

Leo nodded. "Definitely."

"Freaking-A you're heavy." Kallie said to Donnie.

"And I'm the lightest." Donatello replied with a smug smile.

Kallie laughed a bit breathlessly.

"Here, lemme show ya somthin' else." Raph said as he tugged on her arm.

Kallie allowed herself to be dragged to the other side of the mat. Raph kicked in between her legs, forcing them to open a bit and be shoulder length apart.

"Put yer arms up and act like yer gonna punch me." Raph instructed.

Kallie obeyed and held her clenched fists up, ready to strike.

"I'm gonna show ya how to properly punch someone. Ya wanna aim fer their nose, the bleeding will distract them." Raph told her.

Kallie nodded and mimicked it, Raph dodging barely in time.

"Whoa! I didn't tell ya to really do it!" Raph complained.

Kallie smirked a bit. "Not my fault you weren't paying attention."

Raph gaped at her for a second, then, his eyes twinkling with mischief he swiped his leg out, knocking his into Kallie's. Kallie gasped as her knees buckled instantly, Raph shot an arm out and grabbed her waist right before she fell. She didn't have time to breathe though as he immediately twisted his hold and she was on her back on the mat with Raph pinning her arms above her head. Kallie looked up at him, eyes incredulous, as he smirked down at her.

"What was that about not paying attention?"

Kallie scowled at him. "Alright, alright, you've made your point. Clearly I am not a ninja master and you are."

Mikey, Donnie, and Leo were all chuckling as Raph released her and she got to her feet.

"Never let yer guard down." Raph told her.

Kallie rolled her eyes but nodded. "Duly noted."

"Alright guys, time to go. We'll continue this lesson later Kallie. Please feel free to watch T.V. or some movies. We'll be back around after midnight." Leo said.

"Alright. Thanks for showing me some stuff." Kallie said.

Raph smirked at her. "No problem."

Kallie rolled her eyes. "Go on, get outta here and kick some bad guy butt."

Raph's smirk turned into an evil grin. "It'll be our pleasure."

Leo and Donnie waved, while Mikey winked at her as they made their way out of the lair. Kallie sighed and made her way upstairs to find her new temporary room. She was very tempted to peek in and look at the boys' room, but she didn't wanna intrude on their personal space. Her room was at the end of the hall. It had a small desk with her purchases sitting on top of it. She had a full size bed in the corner that was made up with white cotton sheets and a nice looking comforter. She was exhausted and decided to put away her things later, for now sleep was calling her name.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: There's been a few questions as to what genre this story is and I would have to say I tend to lean more towards the 90s live action movies and the 07 CGI movie (cuz that takes place after the 90s live action movies). I think the CGI movie truly captured the essence that is TMNT. I may be playing around with the thickness of Kallie's accent but I'm doing it from experience. I am a southerner and when I'm really angry my accent tends to get thicker and my husband (who's from North Dakota) finds it absolutely hilarious. So that's where that comes from lol. Also, thanks so much for all the lovely reviews! They give me warm and fuzzies which are pretty much the greatest thing ever. Please continue to leave me reviews and let me know how you think it's going! Okay, I'm done rambling now. Onward!**

**Disclaimer: They're still not mine. I tried stealing them the other day, but it didn't work. I have a plan though. If y'all could just meet me in Albuquerque in three hours with a penguin and a jet ski, they'll be ours! MWAHAHAHAHAHAAA!**

**Disclaimer 2: *Ahem* Sorry, sometimes the evil mastermind in me can't be controlled. **

Chapter 9: Nightmares and Ninja Training

Kaliyah didn't sleep very well. Despite the fact that the bed was very comfortable, sleep just didn't come easily. She constantly tossed and turned. She almost got up when the boys came back. She could hear someone banging around in the kitchen downstairs and heard Mikey bark out a laugh every so often. Kallie figured they had some kind of routine and she didn't want to get in the way of it. She had turned their lives upside down enough already.

Eventually downstairs had quieted down and Kallie heard a few doors closing down the hall from her own little room. She figured they were all settling down for the night. Sighing, Kallie shifted in her bed; throwing her leg outside of the blankets and shoving her hands under her pillow. She closed her eyes and fell asleep once more.

Of course it only lasted about an hour. Kallie's eyes sprang open as a nightmare full of fire had just about begun. Her heart was still racing and she threw her arm over her face and groaned.

"Why can't I just sleep?" She asked herself out loud. Kallie snuck a glance at the little alarm clock by her bed and saw that it was only 2:18 in the morning. She groaned again and sat up; knowing sleep wasn't going to come for a while. Kallie figured she might as well start putting away her clothes. She had barely begun folding when a terror filled scream ripped through the lair. Kallie gasped and dropped the pair of pants she had been folding. Another scream filled the air as Kallie wrenched open her door to find the source of the scream. She didn't have to go very far though; she could hear the scream was extremely close to her…

It was Mikey.

Kaliyah threw his door open and was at his side in seconds. Michelangelo was shaking his head back and forth, his eyes screwed shut as his hands twisted in the sheets.

"Mike! Mikey, wake up!" Kallie urged.

Michelangelo's back arched off the bed as another blood curdling scream made its way out of his throat. Soon, Kallie was joined by the rest of the lair's occupants. Raph had made it in first and was next to Michelangelo's head. Leo and Donnie were next and Kallie moved to allow them room next to their brother. Master Splinter was last and he joined Raphael next to Mikey's head.

"Is he okay?" Kallie asked, scared beyond all reason. She had never heard such an awful sound before. The short time that she had known Michelangelo, only happy sounds had come out of the younger turtle's mouth; never would she have imagined he could make a sound like the scream she had just heard.

"Just a nightmare Kaliyah." Master Splinter replied.

Raphael was rubbing Mikey's head. "C'mon Mikey wake up." He demanded in a gentle voice. Mike screamed again, shorter this time but still just as terrible. Raphael continued rubbing his little brother's head, whispering soothing words to the younger turtle. Mike's body slowly lowered back down to the mattress and his fists loosened their hold on the sheets.

"Sensei, he's calming down now." Raph said.

"I see that Raphael." Master Splinter said. "Do you think he will be alright Donatello?"

Don nodded. "Just his usual nightmare I'm sure. If you want to go back to bed Sensei, feel free. We'll take care of Mikey."

Master Splinter nodded, his eyes tired, and left the room. Kallie wondered if maybe she should leave as well but she didn't have time to make that decision as Mike's eyes sprang open and a gasp escaped his lips as he sat straight up in his bed, slamming his shell against the headboard. He was panting for breath as if he had just run a marathon.

"Karai?" Leo asked.

Mikey nodded, his body shaking. He looked as if he still wasn't a hundred percent back into the real world, as if part of him was still stuck in his nightmare.

"It was just a dream Mikey, you're home now. She can't hurt you anymore." Leonardo told him, his eyes fierce as he grabbed Mikey's arms. Mikey nodded clumsily. His breathing was still harsh but the shaking had subsided somewhat. Kallie of course had no idea what they were talking about, but she could only imagine what this 'Karai' chick had done to Michelangelo.

"Ya good?" Raph asked.

"Y-Yeah." Mikey said hoarsely.

"Are you sure?" Donatello asked.

Mikey lifted his eyes to his purple banded brother and nodded. "M'fine Donnie."

Donatello titled his head to the side slightly before he walked over to the head of the bed and grabbed Mikey's chin, Leonardo dropping his arms and making room. Don turned Mike's head to the left and right, and then pressed the back of his hand to Mike's forehead. Michelangelo sighed and swatted away Don's hands.

"I don't have a fever Donnie." Mike said.

Donnie smiled somewhat. "Can't be too careful."

Kallie had pressed herself against the opposite wall and watched the scene unfold in front of her. She had never seen such fear in Raphael's eyes. He had this whole tough guy exterior and even though she hadn't known him for long she knew that emotions didn't come easily for him. Leo and Donnie looked just as terrified, but whereas Donnie seemed to wear his emotions on his sleeve, Leo did not. Leonardo masked his fear with his whole 'I'm the leader and I know no fear' attitude. But just like Raph, his eyes gave him away.

Kallie was planning on making a silent exit but then Mike's eyes found hers and he grimaced. Her heart went out to him. She knew how it was to have a nightmare so vivid that you thought it was real. Shoot, she had just had one last night.

"Are you okay Mikey?" Kallie asked quietly.

"A bit embarrassed, but otherwise unharmed." Mikey replied, his face a bit sheepish.

"Don't be embarrassed, nightmares can be pretty terrible." She said.

Mikey laughed humorlessly. "You're telling me."

"If it makes you feel better, I had a nightmare earlier." Kallie offered.

Michelangelo looked at her incredulously. "Why would that make me feel better?"

Kaliyah shrugged. "I dunno…misery loves company?" She tried.

The corners of Mike's mouth twitched slightly, as did Leo's and Don's. Kallie felt herself smile a bit as well. Raph tried to look indifferent but his eyes sparkled with humor a bit.

"Can I ask a question?" Kaliyah asked. "And feel free to tell me I'm crossing the line." She added.

Leo and the others looked at Mikey, waiting for him to answer. Mike took a deep shuddering breath and nodded. "Go ahead."

"Who's Karai?"

"Someone we once considered somewhat of an ally. She's our enemy now and has been for a few months." Leonardo answered.

"She did something terrible to you, didn't she?" Kallie asked Mike.

Mikey nodded. "Yeah, yeah she did."

Kallie didn't miss the shudder that had made its way down his body.

"I'm sorry." She told him.

Mikey smiled a bit. "S'okay. She was just confused and hurting at the time. Unfortunately she didn't know how to deal with stress constructively; she chose to use me to be her stress reliever."

"Stress my ass," Raphael growled. "She's a monster. And she's damn lucky we let her live."

"Raph." Leo said quietly, although it sounded more like a warning.

"It's okay; you don't have to explain anything to me. I was just wondering who she was." Kallie assured them.

Mike shook his head. "No, it's okay. This whole…nightmare thing happens kinda frequently for me. You might as well know why so you're not so freaked the next time."

"Mikey, you don't have t—"

"I know I don't have to," Mike interrupted. "But I want you to understand."

"Are you sure Mike?" Donatello asked.

"Pop a squat Kallie, might as well get comfy." Michelangelo said, gesturing next to his brothers for Kallie to sit. Kallie obeyed and sat in between Raphael and Leonardo.

"A few months ago I was kidnapped for a week by this chick named Karai." Mikey began. "She did…some stuff to me and I have nightmares about it a few times a month; they're so…vivid and real to me. I guess they're not so much nightmares as they are memories. I tend to relive some of the worst moments when I sleep."

Kallie was horrified. Who in the world would want to hurt Mikey?! He was so good, so nice, so funny, so childlike! She didn't even want to imagine the torture she had done to him to make him scream like that.

"We almost didn't make it in time." Donatello added quietly.

Mike rolled his eyes. "I knew you guys would find me."

"I dunno Mikey…if ya hadn't contacted me we might've been too late." Raphael said.

"Contacted?" Kaliyah asked.

Leo nodded. "Mikey reached Raph through meditation and gave him enough information for us to be able to find him. Proof that he actually _can_ apply himself when needed." Leo added, smiling fondly at Mike.

"Dude, I _always_ apply myself." Mikey commented.

"Wait a sec, I'm still trying to process how Mikey talked to Raph when they were miles apart?!" Kallie cried.

"Ninja stuff." Raph said.

Donnie rolled his eyes. "What Raphael means is that we are able to reach such a deep state of meditation that we can communicate with one another. It takes a long time to reach this state and a lot of energy to maintain the connection. True masters of ninjitsu are able to accomplish this."

"So it's like some kind of Vulcan mind meld type of thing." Kaliyah offered.

Mikey laughed and Kallie grinned. _That_ was the sound Mikey should make. Raph snorted in amusement and even Leo chuckled to himself.

"Why do I even bother?" Don asked himself.

"I'm really sorry." Kallie said, turning slightly serious.

"It's fine." Mikey replied.

A growl from Raph had Michelangelo rolling his eyes.

"What?" Kallie asked.

"Raph hates it when I say 'it's fine.'"

"That's cuz it ain't fine. Nothin' about that week was fine." Raphael said fiercely.

"I can understand that," Kaliyah said. "It used to drive me nuts whenever my mom would say, 'I'm fine' after my dad died."

"See?" Raph said as he playfully punched Mike in the shoulder.

Mikey grinned at his red banded brother. "Yeah, yeah whatever."

Raph rolled his eyes and tweaked Mike's side as he got to his feet. Mike let out a yelp that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Kallie ducked her head to hide her smile. Raphael was such a softie. Leonardo was smiling as well and he stood to his feet, Donnie following suit.

"We should all go back to bed," said Leonardo. "Are you good Mikey? Do you need anything?"

Michelangelo shook his head. "Nah, I'm good."

"If you need anything you know where to find me." Leo said and Mikey nodded. Leo offered his hand to Kaliyah and she took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

"Night Mikey." Donnie said as he rubbed Mike's head. Raph bid Mikey goodnight as well, following Donnie out of the room.

"Goodnight Mike." Kallie said.

"Night Kallie. Sorry if I scared you."

"Don't apologize you big doofus! It's not your fault!" said Kallie.

Mikey grinned at her; she waved and walked out of the room, pausing briefly right outside the door.

"Goodnight little brother." Leonardo said.

"Night Leo…thanks…" Kallie heard Mikey say.

Kallie smiled to herself and walked back to her room. She snuggled into her blankets and closed her eyes, sighing softly. Sleep would come now and she would welcome it.

OoOoOoO

"Kallie, c'mon, get up." Kallie heard a voice say to her. She groaned and pulled the blanket over her head. She hadn't slept well that night of course. After Mikey's nightmare, sleep had finally come, but it was restless and fitful.

She heard someone laugh. "C'mon Kaliyah, it's time for sleepy, short, blondes to wake up!" Kallie didn't need to open her eyes to recognize that voice. It was Mikey. And he had insulted her twice in one sentence; using her full name _and_ calling her short. If she wasn't so tired she would've retorted with something equally as insulting.

"G'way." She mumbled sleepily.

Kallie heard Raph chuckle and she groaned again, wondering how many of them were actually in her room. Suddenly, the blankets were ripped off of her and she was met with cold air. She gasped and brought her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.

"Betcha she's awake now." Raph said.

"I dunno Raph; she's still not getting up."

Kallie smirked a little to herself and snuggled her head deeper in the pillow.

"Kallie, get yer ass up now," said Raph. "We've got alotta stuff to get done."

"Don't care." Kallie muttered.

Raph growled.

Kallie scoffed. "M'not scared of you."

"That's it! No more mister nice turtle!" Raph declared.

"Dude, chill. I can get her up." Michelangelo said, putting a hand on Raph's shoulder. Mikey cracked his knuckles and whipped a hand out, snatching the pillow right out from underneath Kallie's head. Kallie let out a yelp as Mikey gave her one good whack on her side with the pillow.

"Oh for the love of—I'm up!" She cried, sitting up and snatching the pillow out of Mike's hand before he could hit her with it again.

"Morning sunshine!" Michelangelo said brightly, grinning.

"I hate both of you." Kallie mumbled as she stretched her arms above her head. She ran a hand through her hair and grimaced as she felt all the knots.

Raph smirked. "Welcome to the land of the livin' so nice of ya to join us."

Kallie scowled at him and swung her legs to the edge of the bed, standing to her feet.

"What the hell is so important that I have to be up at 7 in the friggin' morning?" Kallie demanded, placing her hands on her hips and looking up at the two turtles in her room.

"Morning practice actually," a voice said from the door. Kallie turned and saw Leonardo leaning against the door frame, arms across his chest and an amused look on his face. "Master Splinter wants you to watch again."

"Really? Why?" Kallie asked.

"Not sure yet." Leo replied.

Kallie nodded. "Alright, if he wants me there I'll be there then."

"We've got breakfast downstairs if you're hungry." Mikey offered.

"Thanks, but I'm not really hungry; two big dumb jerks woke me up," said Kallie, scowling at Raphael and Michelangelo. "Now, get out of my room. I'm gonna go shower and try to tame the mess that is my hair."

Raph chuckled as he followed Leo and Mikey out of the room. Kallie pulled out a pair of jeans and a red and black plaid shirt with a red cami before making her way to the bathroom. She showered quickly and towel dried her hair, rubbing some gel in it to help tame her curls. She looked exhausted and she sighed before applying some foundation and eyeliner to help make herself look half way presentable. She came downstairs and Donatello was waiting with a cup of coffee. Kallie eagerly grabbed it.

"Thank you." She sighed as she took a sip of the delicious brew, following Donnie into the dojo.

"Figured you might need a cup."

"I really did, especially after my little 'wakeup call.' Speaking of which, is there a way to Mikey and Raph proof my room?"

Donnie snorted. "If you find a way be sure to let me know. I've been searching for way to do that for years now."

Kallie sighed. "Guess there's no hope then."

They entered the room and Donnie bowed to Master Splinter.

"Good morning Kaliyah. Did you sleep well?" Splinter asked.

"Wasn't my worst night of sleep." She answered honestly.

Master Splinter smiled kindly at her. "I am sure we have all had better nights."

Mikey winced slightly and shot her an apologetic look. Kallie waved him off.

"I hope you will excuse me for waking you so early. I requested your presence here because I would like to ask your permission." Master Splinter said to her.

"Permission to do what?" Kallie asked.

"I would like to train you." He replied.

Kallie was taken aback. "_Train_ me?"

Splinter nodded. "Yes."

"Train me for what?" Kallie asked, giving him a confused look.

Master Splinter saw the fear in her eyes and he smiled at her again. "Do not fear child. I am in no way seeking for you to be a master of ninjitsu; however, I do feel that it would be most useful for you to learn some key skills that will help to ensure your safety."

Kallie was speechless. She stared at Master Splinter incredulously, trying to digest what he was saying to her. Why in the world would he want to train her? What could he possibly gain in doing this for her?

"Why do you want to do this?" She asked him.

It was Splinters turn to look confused. "What do you mean?"

"What could you possibly gain by training me?" She asked again.

Master Splinter understood then and a deep sadness overcame him. This poor child thought that kindness came with a price. Master Splinter was troubled by this young woman's mysterious past, someone had done her a great injustice and she was still struggling with trust. He was determined to work on that first.

"It is not what I will gain, but what _you_ will gain that is important. I seek only to help you." He told her.

Kallie looked dubiously at him for a moment, as if trying to read his thoughts and determine what his true motive was. But as he did the first time she had met him, Kallie saw no falsehood in him. The old rat was telling her the truth. Besides, it was like she asked earlier; what could he possibly gain from training her? She might as well give it a shot.

Slowly she nodded. "Okay…sure, why not?"

Mikey whooped and grinned at her. "This is gonna be great!"

"Michelangelo, physical training will be at a minimum. I would like to concentrate on spiritual training." Master Splinter said.

"You're still gonna train her to defend herself though, aren't you Sensei?" Mikey asked.

"You and your brothers will. I assume you have already taught her a few things, yes?"

"A few things." Leo answered.

"Good. I trust the four of you to help her with this. It will enable me to concentrate fully on her spiritual training." Master Splinter added.

"So when do we start?" Kaliyah asked.

Master Splinter looked at her, his expression suddenly fiercely serious. "Before we begin, I must tell you that this will not be easy. It will be exhausting; physically and mentally. You will need to devote yourself fully to these sessions, allowing nothing to divert your attention. Some of these sessions will be painful and there is very little I can do to avoid that. However, after this training you will be stronger than you are now. I believe this will also help with your current predicament. Are you still sure you want this training?"

Kallie was scared. She had no idea what these training sessions would involve and the unknown was terrifying. But this family had welcomed her with open arms and gave her a place to stay as well as helped her friends and coworkers, ensuring their safety as well. She owed them. She owed them so very much.

Kallie took a deep breath and released it before nodding. "Yes. It would be an honor to be trained by y'all."

Master Splinter smiled. "And it would be an honor to train you. Leonardo, take over practice for this morning. Kaliyah, follow me. You're training starts now."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating! I just finished another story I've been working on for like a year now and that took up most of my time (by the way it's called Southern Comfort and you should go read it? Am I pimping out my other fics? Yes. Am I ashamed? No.)! So this chapter has a bit of angst in it but a nice little 'AWE!' moment too. Please read and review! I love to hear what y'all think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the turtles or the song. I own Kaliyah though, and I think she's pretty cool. **

Chapter 10: Did He Say Training? Cuz This Seems More Like Torture.

Master Splinter led Kallie out of the dojo and to his room. The lights were off, but candles were burning and cast a soft glow throughout the room. Incense was burning as well, making the air smell like some sort of sweet spice. Master Splinter led her to the middle of the room and motioned for her to sit. He sat as well, Indian style, and Kallie did the same. Splinter closed his eyes and took a deep breath before releasing it slowly. Kallie fiddled with her hands in her lap, totally uncomfortable with the silence in the room. She was already uneasy about what kind of training she was about to receive. Splinter opened his eyes and stared straight into hers.

Splinter tilted his head to the side slightly. He was trying to get a feel for the young woman, trying to connect with some part of her. Eyes are the windows to the soul and the old rat knew that Kaliyah would be no exception. She had startling blue eyes. He had always loved his youngest sons' eyes; they were a soft baby blue that could convince anyone to do anything the young turtle wanted. He had fallen prey many times to what Leonardo had called Michelangelo's 'Puppy Eyes.' But Kaliyah…her eyes were a blue that he had only seen once before; in the cerulean blue of the ocean surrounding Bermuda's islands. He had traveled there once with Master Yoshi and he had never seen such a beautiful color before. But here he was staring right at it in the eyes of a young girl. One would think that with such beautiful eyes that she would be an open book. But that was not the case of Ms. Kaliyah Miller; her gaze was guarded, practically impenetrable. Splinter knew that in order to help the young girl he was going to need to break down the walls she had so carefully put up around her.

"Close your eyes Kaliyah." Master Splinter instructed.

Kallie obeyed and shut her eyes.

"Take a deep breath and release it slowly." He continued. Again, she did as instructed. "I want you to clear your mind."

Kallie tried her hardest to do as she was told but how the heck did he expect her to not think?

"You're not clearing your mind." He commented.

"I'm trying." She replied, trying her hardest not to whine. She took another deep breath and slowly released it again, allowing her mind to blank.

"Much better. Listen to my voice and do exactly as I say." Master Splinter told her.

Kallie nodded.

"You are guarded Kaliyah, you have built walls around your heart that you allow no one to climb."

Kallie sucked in a breath at his words; her heart starting to beat rapidly in her chest as she struggled to keep her head clear.

"You keep yourself at a distance from everyone you know. Those who are closest to you are not even allowed inside of the wall you have so carefully built around your heart. You are afraid."

Kallie's heart was slamming against her rib cage, her breathing heavy. Every instinct in her was screaming for her to run; to book it out of that place as fast as she possibly could. Splinter was getting way too deep too fast. She was going to have whiplash by the time this session was finished.

"Do not move from where you are." The old rat said as if he could read her thoughts. "This is necessary. Listen to my voice, do exactly as I say." He said to her again. "You are afraid. Life has not been kind to you, you have been hurt by family and the loss of your father destroyed you. It is because of these things that you are now guarded, afraid to give anyone a piece of who you are, because they might leave."

Kallie felt tears springing to her eyes and she tried to keep them at bay, but the mention of her father had her on the edge of despair.

"Please…" She whispered, eyes still clenched shut.

Master Splinter opened his eyes and looked at Kaliyah; her jaw clenched, tears silently pouring down her face. The old rat gave a sigh of relief.

_Finally some progress._ He thought to himself. He did not enjoy making the child cry, but in order to train her properly and possibly have her remember this combination she had hidden in her head, he needed those walls to crumble to the ground.

"Please…don't…" She asked hoarsely. Splinter got up and placed a hand on the girls' shoulder. She drew a shaky breath and lifted her head up to look at him. Her eyes were still guarded, still protected, but he saw some chinks in the wall this time. And that would be enough for today.

"That is all for today." He said as he patted her shoulder. He offered her a hand and she grasped it, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

Kallie felt as if he had just punched her in the stomach. Her resolve was weaker than normal and she was unnerved at how well the old rat was able to read her. She normally prided herself on being able to keep everyone oblivious as to what she was really feeling, to what she was really thinking. It had taken her years to be able to hide all emotion, well except for anger. That was one thing she really couldn't control. The old rat was spot on when it came to how her family had hurt her. Her mother did something that was unforgivable in Kallie's opinion and her father's death really had destroyed her. Master Splinter caught on to all of that just by staring into her eyes. Maybe she wasn't as guarded as she thought she was.

"I…I'm…" She didn't know what to say.

Master Splinter smiled softly at her. "I told you that it would be difficult. I am sorry that we went so deep so fast. But now you know that this is not something to take lightly, we will resume tomorrow."

She walked to the door, but stopped and turned to look at him once more. "Do you think this will help me to remember this combination?" She asked.

Master Splinter nodded. "Yes I do. But this is more than that combination. This is also about you and getting you to trust once more."

"I do trust people…" She trailed off quietly.

"There is more to trust than you may think." He said sagely. Kallie nodded and walked out of the room, practically running up the stairs and locking herself in the bathroom.

She sat on the toilet, dragging deep gulps of air into her aching lungs. Her heart was still slamming against her rib cage; she was shaking too, her whole body shuddering with every intake of air. She tried to stand but her knees buckled instantly and she barely had enough time to propel herself towards the toilet once again. She couldn't believe how weak this was making her, how completely exhausted she was after only 45 minutes of training. Kallie wanted nothing more than to just curl up in a ball and cry her eyes out. Master Splinter had gotten too close, went a little too far for her liking. She wasn't a hundred percent sure why it was so important for her to 'trust' people. She trusted people! She trusted Maggie! Maggie knew a lot of stuff about her; she knew that her and her Mom didn't get along (although not _why_), she knew that her Dad died (although not _how_), she knew that she…er…well she knew that…uh…okay…maybe she did have some trust issues. But that didn't mean that she didn't believe that all people were untrustworthy; just that more than likely people will hurt you in the end. She didn't think of herself as a pessimist, she was a realist.

People leave and hurt you.

That was just the truth. And she had learned that the hard way. Her dad had left and her mom had hurt her. The one time she opened up and was 100% truthful about how she was feeling she was wounded beyond repair by her mother. Her mom had completely disregarded her feelings and crushed her hope in humanity. And Splinter was becoming dangerously too close to breaking down the defenses she'd been building for the past six years.

Another shudder ripped through her body and her breathing hitched again. A sob made its way out of her throat and she clutched the edge of the toilet seat, trying to regain control. She was about to try to stand up again when there was a knock at the door.

"Kallie?" A cautious voice called from outside. Kaliyah jumped, slightly caught off guard by the soft knock and voice. She didn't want to really talk to anyone though, especially with her not being in control of her emotions. She had broken down in front of them once and she was never going to allow them to see her that vulnerable again.

"Kallie?" Michelangelo called again.

Kallie didn't trust her voice not to quiver when she spoke so she said nothing; hoping that maybe Mikey would just get the hint and leave.

Of course this is Mikey we're talking about so he simply picked the lock and slipped inside. Kallie did her best to control her breathing but they were still coming in short, quick gasps. Soon she felt hands gripping her shoulders, forcing her to stand. She knew her legs weren't working right but she somehow shuffled forward, with Mike gripping her shoulders tightly enough to keep her upright. He led her to the sink and pushed lightly on her neck, making her bend forward. Kallie grasped the sides of the sink as Mikey turned the water on and wet a washcloth. Soon Kallie something cold hit her neck and she gasped, flinching. Michelangelo kept a firm hand on her neck.

"Take a deep breath in." He instructed.

She obeyed, although it wasn't really a deep breath.

"Release it slowly."

She did as she was told. Mikey said the same two sentences over and over again for about five minutes until Kaliyah was finally breathing normally. Mike took the cold cloth off of her neck and led her to sit back down on the toilet seat.

"How did you know to do that?" Kallie asked after a few moments of silence.

"I've had a few panic attacks in my day." Mikey said softly with a sad smile on his face.

"Is that what happened?" Kallie asked. "I had a panic attack?"

Mikey nodded. "Fraid' so."

"I don't like them."

"Yeah, they're not that fun," said Mikey. "Donnie taught me how to deal with them when I had my first one."

"Do you have them a lot?" Kallie asked, not wanting to pry too much but too curious not to ask.

"Not as much as I used to." Mikey replied.

"Please don't tell the others," Kaliyah begged. "They'll just worry and this was rather embarrassing. It's bad enough you found out."

"You know, trying to keep Leo from knowin' stuff is like trying to keep Donnie away from coffee…" Mike said wryly.

Kallie sighed. "Fabulous. Well…can you at least keep the whole panic attack thing to yourself?"

"Yeah, if you don't want me saying anything I won't. Scouts honor." Michelangelo said, holding up two of his fingers.

Kallie smiled slightly at that.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked.

Kallie shook her head no.

"You sure?"

"M'fine Mikey…just…a little overwhelmed there for a moment. Master Splinter wasn't lying when he said this thing wouldn't be easy…"

Mikey nodded solemnly. "He can be a little tough at times, but he knows what he's doing. And I know you're kinda like Raph and you don't like talking about your problems and what not but…I'm here for you if you ever do wanna talk."

"Thanks," Kallie said warmly before standing and nudging Mikey with her shoulder. "Since when did you become Mr. Serious?"

Mikey put on a puzzled look. "Me? Serious? No, no. I'm in this for the food."

"The food?"

"Yeah. Chicks dig that sentimental crap, if I'm all touchy feely there's a good chance you'll feed me."

Kallie couldn't help but laugh at that. Mikey grinned widely at her and opened the door before sweeping his arm our and bowing at her. "After you m'lady."

"Why thank you good sir." She replied, doing a slight courtesy. The two of them walked out and down the stairs in search for the others.

OoOoOoO

Kaliyah found herself hanging out with the guys for most of the day. She had emailed her professors and all of them were just fine with her taking her exams next week instead of the week before Christmas. She called Maggie regularly and scheduled to have lunch with her the next day. Mags had been insisting that she stay with her and Kallie figured if her friend saw her well and whole then maybe she'd fret a lot less. She also called The Duplex and her tutoring boss that she would be taking a leave of absence until the new year. Kenny was upset, but glad that Kaliyah was fine. He had even given her free reign on any songs she wanted to sing for the next three months. Kallie couldn't wait to start doing some of her own stuff! The only down side was that the fire had burned all of her sheet music. She knew most of the older ones by heart now, but some of her newer things she'd have to start from scratch. It's not like she could really practice anyways…she didn't have a piano or a violin anymore.

Kallie was feeling kinda low and the guys had gone 'topside' about an hour ago to make a 'run.' She really didn't know what they meant by that but it meant she was alone with Master Splinter who was currently in his room with the doors closed. She had seen him throughout the day and had even stood next to him while she watched the guys do their afternoon practice, but she couldn't help but be on her guard, just in case he really did read minds.

Kallie was lying upside down on the couch; her legs thrown over the back as her head dangled inches above the floor, when the living room erupted into chatter alerting her of the boys' presence. She got so excited that she tried to get up too quickly and ended up face planting right into the floor.

Leonardo snickered. "Smooth."

"Shut it." Kallie retorted as she resisted the urge to flip him off. "Where did y'all go? And where's Raph and Mikey?"

"Had to make a quick run and they're on their way. I've been looking for a new hard drive for a few months now and found one on Craigslist so we went to go pick it up." Donatello answered.

"How did you do that without them seeing you?" Kaliyah asked.

"Trench coat." Donnie replied.

"Very ninja like." Kallie said with mock seriousness.

"Hey, it works!" Donnie cried.

Kallie laughed softly. "Hey, whatever works for y'all. I won't judge."

"I don't think she should get her present now." Donatello sniffed.

"Present? Y'all got me a present?" Kallie asked, her excitement rising.

"Maybe." Leonardo said with a slight smirk on his face, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I like presents." Kallie grinned.

"Good! Cuz this thing weighs a ton and yer gonna owe me!" Raph's voice called from the entrance of the lair. Kallie turned her head and saw them dragging in a small church type of piano. It desperately needed a new paint job and had definitely seen better days, but it was the most beautiful piano Kallie had ever seen in her life.

"Are…Are you serious?" Kallie asked breathlessly.

"Surprise!" Mikey called as they set the piano next to the entryway to the kitchen.

"It's not new or anything, but it works really well and is in tune. We had it checked out before we brought it back." Donatello explained.

"It's temporary of course, once you're safe you can buy a better one. But we thought you might enjoy being able to play on something since you enjoy music." Leo added.

Kallie still hadn't said anything and the boys were getting a bit worried.

"If you don't like you don't have to use it or anything…we just thought you might like it…we know it kinda sucks—."

"SH!" Kallie hushed them furiously.

"What are y—." Leo started to ask.

"Hush!" She hissed.

"Don't nobody tell me to shut up!" Raph growled.

"Don't ruin this moment for me." She growled back at him.

"What?" Michelangelo asked.

"This is the greatest. Piano. Ever." She said quietly.

The four brothers brightened at that.

"Really?" Mikey asked, sounding all of four years old.

"Really." Kallie said, beaming at her four new friends.

"Well, whadda ya waitin' for? Go play us somethin'!" Raphael commanded with an eye roll, but his mouth was quirked up slightly at the side.

Kaliyah walked towards the piano and pulled a chair up to it. She eased the lift up and allowed her fingers to test a few of the keys. It truly did sound in tune.

"I wrote a few months ago, it mentions New York too. Would you like to hear it?" She asked them quietly. Suddenly overcome with emotion by the generosity of these four brothers.

"Is it a hate song?" Michelangelo asked.

Kallie laughed softly. "No it isn't. It's more of a song about growing up and learning who you are as a person. A coming of age type of song, if you will."

"Sounds awesome." Leonardo said kindly.

"It truly does sound wonderful." A new voice said. Master Splinter was making his way towards the five of them, a soft smile on his face.

Kallie met his eyes and smiled back at him. She turned back to the piano and started playing the soft melody.

"This is called _Gardenia_:

"_Well, I put so much thought into getting ready_

_Now I know that was the best part_

_It's so easy to get caught up in what I'm regretting_

_Forget what I got from a wounded heart_

" _I'm the one who likes Gardenia_

_I'm the one who likes to make love on the floor_

_I don't want to hang up the phone yet_

_It's been good_

_Getting to know me more_

"_I've been seeing all my old friends in the city_

_Walking alone in Central Park_

_Doing all the things that I've neglected_

_Traded 'em all in_

_To be in your arms_

"_I'm the one who likes Gardenia_

_I'm the one who likes to make love on the floor_

_I don't want to hang up the phone yet_

_It's been good_

_Getting to know me more_

"_Well, I hear my own voice_

_Sounds so silly_

_Keep on telling my story all around_

_Everything I lost seems so different_

_Well, this is how everybody gets found _

"_I'm the one who likes Gardenia_

_I'm the one who likes to make love on the floor_

_I don't want to hang up the phone yet_

_It's been good_

_Getting to know me more."_

The song ended as Kallie's voice softened with the last held note. She noticed that her eyes were slightly wet and she blinked quickly to try and dry them. She looked up at her audience and all of them were grinning at her; even Raphael.

"That. Was. Amazing!" Mikey declared, throwing his arms in his air.

"You think so?" Kallie asked.

"You wrote that?" Leonardo asked.

Kallie nodded.

"You've got a lot of talent. It was beautiful." He told her.

"You are gifted Kaliyah." Master Splinter told her.

Blue eyes met brown and the old rat found that her soul was now open for all the world to see. The wall was no longer there, gone as if it had never existed. It was fleeting though, and only lasted for a few seconds before the wall was back up. Splinter tried to keep his face impassive, not wanting to alert the scared woman of his discovery. He had a few plans formulating in his mind now though.

He may have just found a way to open up the young girl who used to be Kaliyah Miller.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I am sooooooooooooooooooooo sorry for the long delay in updating! This chapter took forever to write and I've been super busy with Christmas and the usual. Again, I apologize. This chapter is longer than the others to help make up for it! Enjoy! And don't forget to review! =]]**

**Disclaimer: I own Kaliyah and that's all. I don't own the turtles. Sigh…**

Chapter 11: Christmas with the Turtles…This Oughta Be Interesting…

Kaliyah sighed and sank into the old couch, exhausted after taking all of her exams in one day. Maggie had met her for breakfast and lunch that day. Kallie tried to make it up to her since she had called recently. Maggie wanted Kallie to stay at her place, but Kallie ensured her friend that she was fine with who she was currently with. Maggie relented but demanded to meet her new friends, which of course was an impossibility since Kallie's new friends were mutant ninja turtles.

Kallie didn't think Maggie was quite up to meeting them.

Christmas was right around the corner and normally Kallie spent the holiday with Sam and his family. Her mom had been invited but she always went back to Texas to visit Kallie's grandparents. Kallie assumed her mother would be doing the same thing this year and she knew she would be invited to Sam's again. She still wanted to do something nice for the guys though. They had helped her so much and were continuing to do so.

Presents were the least she could do.

"Hey Kallie!" A voice shouted from the dojo.

Kallie groaned as she sat up and called, "What?"

"C'mere!" Raphael yelled for her again.

"I don't want to!" Kallie groaned, sinking into the couch once more.

"Get yer ass in here Blondie!"

"Raphael!"

"Sorry Sensei!"

Kallie snickered as she slowly got to her feet. She made a big show of stomping the entire way to the dojo. When she made it she was met with eye rolls from Raphael and Leonardo. She looked around and didn't see Mikey or Don anywhere.

"Alright, I'm here. What do you want?" Kallie demanded.

"How did exams go?" Leonardo asked.

Kallie narrowed her eyes. "Please tell me that you didn't call me all the way in here just to ask who my exams went."

Raph smirked while Leo simply rolled his eyes.

"No, that's not the only reason but is it a crime to ask you how your schooling is going?" Leo demanded.

Kallie felt somewhat sheepish after that and she eased the scowl off of her face. "I'm exhausted actually. 6 exams in one day is practically suicide."

"You took all of them in one day?" Leo asked incredulously.

Kallie nodded. "I just wanted to get it all over with."

"I can see that. Now, are you ready for a mission?" Leo asked with an amused expression.

"A mission?"

"It's pretty dangerous." Raph commented.

"What kind of mission?" Kaliyah asked, feeling very apprehensive at the smirks the two brothers were wearing.

"Every year we get something for Master Splinter." Leonardo started.

"And every year he friggin' knows what he's gettin' before we even wrap it!" Raph added.

"So what do y'all want me to do?"

"Could you buy his present? We'd give you the money of course, but he won't be suspicious of you. Plus, he's still not as in tuned to you as he is the rest of us." Leo said.

"Of course." She replied immediately.

Leo quirked his lips up slightly in his version of a smile. "Thanks. We really appreciate it."

"No problem. It's the least I could do. I'll get it soon since Christmas is only a few days away and since I won't be here for it I'll need to—."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WON'T BE HERE FOR CHRISTMAS?!" A voice shrieked. Kallie jumped about a mile high while Raph and Leo just sighed, Leo putting a hand to his forehead as if he had a headache.

Suddenly an orange blur tackled Kallie to the ground. She hit the mats with an 'oof' as she was suddenly face to face with a very upset looking Michelangelo.

"What the heck?!" Kallie cried.

"Why won't you be here for Christmas?!" Mikey demanded again.

"Could you get off me?"

"Why. Won't. You. Be here. For. Christmas?"

Kallie sighed. "I have plans with a family friend, plus I don't wanna intrude on y'alls family time. It's bad enough I've disrupted your lives this much, I don't wanna disrupt it during the holidays!"

"You're not disrupting anything!" Mikey cried.

Kallie squirmed, trying to wriggle her out from underneath the heavy turtle. "Mikey, I'm sure y'all have plans—"

"Plans that include you!"

"You are more than welcome to stay Kallie." Leonardo added.

Kallie craned her neck to the side to see Raph and Leo looking down at her. Kallie felt slightly uneasy. Every time these guys went out of their way to help her or to do something nice for her Kallie couldn't help but feel uncomfortable and guilty. It had been a long time since someone had been this nice to her. And despite how much they had proven themselves, over and over again, she still couldn't help but think that it wouldn't last; that eventually they would want something in return.

"Are you sure…?"

Mikey absolutely beamed at her. "Of course we're sure! This is gonna be GREAT! April and Casey are bringing a Christmas tree over tonight and we can decorate it! In fact, normally the whole lair is decorated by now but I've been kinda distracted with everything that's been going on. But that's okay cos' you can help me decorate it! And we can bake cookies and sing Christmas carols! I can't wait!"

Kaliyah couldn't help but grin at the over enthusiastic turtle. "Alright Mike, we can do all that. But uh, can you do me a favor first?"

"What?"

"Get the hell off of me. You weight a ton!"

Michelangelo laughed and flipped to his feet before offering her a hand. Kallie rolled her eyes and grasped it, allowing Mike to pull her to her feet. He winked at her before bounding out of the room talking about finding all their Christmas stuff.

"Is he always that enthusiastic?" Kallie asked.

Raph rolled his eyes. "Only on days that end in 'y.'"

Kallie laughed at that, following the two other turtles out of the room listening as Mikey sang Christmas carols at the top of his lungs.

OoOoOoO

Kallie finished shopping and she was exhausted. April had gone with her, Master Splinter was insistent that she didn't leave the lair alone, and the two of them had everything purchased and wrapped as they carefully laid the presents underneath the tree Mikey and everyone else had decorated the day before.

It was a huge tree. Casey and Raph had dragged it in and it was a good 8ft tall. Kallie couldn't even see the top without craning her neck or stepping back several feet. Mikey had gotten everyone to help decorate it. Raphael had tried to avoid it but eventually Mike had annoyed him enough that he too stepped in and put a few ornaments on. A lot of the ornaments they had were handmade. Master Splinter told a few adorable stories about when they were kids and making ornaments. There were four ornaments that seemed to be more precious than the rest; four ceramic balls painted with blue, red, purple, and orange. Each ornament had a different letter on; L on blue, R on red, D on purple, and M on orange. The writing was squiggly and one could easily see that it was done by children. But what made them so special was the little brown furry figure on the other side of the letters. Each of the boys had drawn Master Splinter on their ornaments. The story goes that Master Splinter had brought home a craft kit that was full of ceramic projects. He needed to go back up to the surface to get more food and a distraction for his sons was greatly needed as well. This project would be the perfection distraction, he thought. And as he left the four turtles each went to their own rooms and did their projects. The boys claimed that none of them knew what the others were doing and when they had finished all four of them had similar Christmas ornaments made for their father. Splinter said it was the closet to tears he had been in a very long time.

The moment the Christmas presents touched the floor, Michelangelo was bounding into the room.

"Don't even think about it Mikey!" April warned, a warning finger pointed at him.

Mikey skidded to a stop and held his hands up in mock surrender. "I didn't even do anything!" He protested.

"Yet." Came an amused voice.

Donatello was smiling as he walked into the arm, throwing an arm around his sibling. "You can't help yourself Mikey."

"Can too! How do you even know I was excited about the presents? I could've been excited to see two of the most beautiful women in the world enter our humble abode!" Mikey added with a charming smile.

Kallie blushed furiously as April rolled her eyes. "Flattery will get you nowhere Mike."

Mikey saw Kallie and grinned. "Got her to blush, I'd say that's a win."

Kallie scowled at him. "Don't make me take your present back."

"You got me a present?!"

Don groaned. "You've done it now. He's not going to leave you alone for a minute until you tell him what you got him."

Kallie smiled smugly. "Bring it on. Trust me; I'm more stubborn than him."

"That's impossible." Raph said as he walked into the living room.

"Yeah, everyone knows the most stubborn person here is Raph." Casey said as he too joined the rest of the group.

"No one asked for yer opinion sidekick."

"Hey, I ain't the sidekick!" Casey protested.

"Mike, you won't get a word outta me. Trust me." Kallie told him. His eyes sparkled, almost challenging her before a look from Leo made his enthusiasm dim a bit.

"Fine." He muttered petulantly.

"Hey, you only have one more day to wait!" Kallie told him, trying to make him feel a bit better.

Mikey grinned. "True!"

"We brought pizza!" April said as the group cheered.

The rest of the evening was spent eating pizza and swapping stories. Kallie sat and listened, laughing hysterically at some of the stories Mikey told about his brothers. Raphael claimed most of them were lies but one look from Leo told Kaliyah that Mikey was actually telling the truth. Master Splinter told Kallie that he wanted to meet with her after dinner for another training session and Kallie's heart started pounding again. She was worried about having another panic attack, but she was slightly hopeful that now that she knew what she was in for that maybe she would be a bit more prepared.

And soon enough she found herself sitting opposite Master Splinter in his dimly lit room. He stared at her again, with those mind reading eyes of his. Kallie blinked several times and tried to keep from turning her face away from the old rats. She knew that he was only trying to help.

Master Splinter stared into Kaliyah's eyes once again. She was guarded still. That wall put back firmly in place, the chinks he had made a few days ago barely noticeable now; but they were still there.

"We're going to try something different today Kaliyah."

The young girl looked up at him, confused as Master Splinter got to his feet and grabbed a violin from somewhere in the shadows, handing it to Kaliyah.

Kaliyah's eyes lit up at the familiar instrument.

"I want you play." He instructed her.

She grabbed the violin in an almost reverent way. "You…you want me to play?"

Splinter nodded.

Kallie grabbed the bow and tested the instrument, running the bow lightly across the strings. It was perfectly in tune and Kallie felt her hands start to move on their own, moving gracefully and creating a beautiful melody.

Splinter closed his eyes and allowed the music to fill him. He waited a few moments before opening his eyes again. Kaliyah's eyes were closed now as she swayed slightly to the music she was playing.

"Continue playing Kaliyah. I'm going to ask you a series of questions, answer them but never stop playing. Keep your eyes closed and concentrate on the music."

Kaliyah nodded her head once and continued playing.

"We talked about how guarded you are last time. This time we will scratch the surface as to why." Master Splinter said. "How old were you when your father died?"

"13."

"Were you two close?"

"Closer than anything." She sounded close to tears already.

"When he died, did you talk to anyone about how you were feeling?"

"My mother."

"She did not help you, did she?"

"No." The cold voice with which she spoke startled the old rat. Her forehead was wrinkled now, as if scowling and trying to get rid of some unpleasant feeling.

"She was not a source of comfort for you."

"Never."

"You shared everything with your father?"

"Everything." She breathed.

"He wrote you letters while he was gone, correct?"

Kallie fumbled slightly, the notes coming out choppier now.

"Focus Kaliyah." Splinter said. The young girl took a deep and shuddering breath before the notes started to blend nicely once again.

"I…I got a letter almost every week."

"He told you about his time there?"

Kaliyah nodded. "A few things, he mainly talked about how much he missed me and my mom."

"His passing left you broken."

Kaliyah nodded, tears spilling onto her cheeks. She continued to play though; the music changing into a more desperate tune.

"But you didn't change completely then."

Kaliyah shook her head.

"It was after talking to your mother."

"She…she didn't u-understand. She never understood m-me. Only Dad did," said Kaliyah. "And then sh-she met Robert…and it w-was like my Dad n-never existed!"

This was certainly a surprise. "She married another man…"

"6 months a-after dad died! 6 friggin' short months!" The music was rough now, an almost frantic sound. "I begged her n-not to! B-begged her to wait! Sh-she didn't care though! I d-didn't even know this m-man!"

"So you never trusted anyone again…"

Kaliyah was standing to her feet, still playing, her eyes still closed as tears continued to pour down her face.

"Sh-she promised to always b-be there for me! B-but she LIED! Sh-she told me I w-was being selfish! Th-that I should've been h-happy for you! Sh-she didn't care about h-how I felt! SHE DIDN'T CARE!" She screamed. The music slowed and soon the young girl slid to her knees, dropping the violin next to her.

"People let you down; family is no exception to that."

Master Splinter walked over to her and sat down right in front of her. His hand came to her chin as he lifted her face to his.

"You have broken things where your heart should be." He told her.

Kaliyah nodded.

"But what is broken can always be fixed, one way or another."

Kaliyah's bright blue eyes pierced Splinters soul. They were shining with tears, but they were clear and unhindered. She was one hundred percent open now.

"I must ask you one more thing." Master Splinter said to her.

Kaliyah said nothing as she waited for him to continue.

"Do you remember anything from the letters that your father wrote to you?"

"Every single word."

Master Splinter nodded. "I would like for you to write down everything you remember. We will go over the letters next session. That is all for tonight."

Kaliyah nodded and stood to her feet, making her way to the door.

"Can I ask you a question?" She turned to look at the old rat.

"Of course Kaliyah."

"Why did you have me play the violin the whole time?"

Master Splinter smiled at her. "Well that is simple."

Kaliyah cocked her head to the side and Splinter couldn't help but chuckle softly. Her expression reminded him so much of his youngest son, Michelangelo.

"You are most open when you are playing. You hide nothing and your soul is bared. You put everything you have and the essence of who you are into your music. This makes it easier for me to unlock the true Kaliyah Miller."

The young woman looked slightly troubled but simply nodded at him as she slipped out of the door.

OoOoOoO

"IT'S CHRISTMAS! C'MON EVERYONE! WAKE UP! GET UP GET UP!" A voice shouted. Kallie groaned and pulled her pillow over her head. She could hear footsteps pounding up and down the stairs. Doors were opening, threats were thrown, and soon Kaliyah's door was thrown open.

"Get yer ass up Sweetness. If we gotta get up at this awful hour, ya gotta get up too."

Kallie groaned. "Ugh…"

"My sentiments exactly. Let's go."

Raphael helped her to her feet and shuffled her out of the room. Raph smirked down at her as she scrambled to get her mop of hair on top of her head in a bun. She nudged him in his side and he nudged her gently back as the finally made it down stairs.

Mikey was practically bouncing up and down as he circled the tree.

"About time!" He said accusingly at her.

"I'm sorry, but normally people are still sleeping at this hour!" She defended.

"Not on Christmas!"

"Mike…tone it down." Donatello said. Kallie saw that he was nursing a cup of coffee.

"Where?" She demanded.

Donnie grinned and pointed to the kitchen. She practically ran there and grabbed a steaming mug of the delicious brew.

"Can we open them now Sensei? Pleeeeease!" Mikey begged.

Master Splinter looked amused and exasperated at the same time as he brought a hand to his forehead, trying to hide a grin. "Yes Michelangelo, go ahead."

The orange banded turtle shrieked with glee as he lunged for the presents. Kallie couldn't help but laugh as he started tossing presents to his family.

Leo received a few new meditating CDs from Master Splinter, a new Katana sharpening kit from Raph, a book on ancient Japanese battles from Donnie, and a PSP from Mikey. Leo laughed as he looked at the video game player.

"Thanks Mike, this is great. I have no idea how to use it…but I know you saved up a lot for this."

Mikey grinned. "I'll show you how to play it dude. S'not hard."

"Anything technological is hard for Leo." Donnie muttered to Kallie. Kallie snickered and Leo shot them both a look.

"Does he have like sonic hearing or something?" Kallie asked.

"Yes." Leo's three younger brothers replied at the same time.

Donnie received a book on ancient Japanese inventions, a new external hard drive from Leo, a series of medical encyclopedias from Raph, and a new chess set from Mikey. Don thanked his brothers and father as they looked to Raph to open his gifts next.

Raph got a book on different ways to meditate from Master Splinter, a new punching bag from Leo, a new motorcycle helmet from Donnie, and the newest two seasons of Raph's favorite wrestling show. Raphael actually grinned at his brothers and father as he thanked them.

Mikey was next and he received a book about different fighting stances and techniques from Master Splinter, a new fighting video game from Leo, a series of comic books from Raph, and a paint set from Donnie. Mikey was so ecstatic with his gifts that he practically tackled each of his brothers as he thanked them.

"Master Splinter we all pitched in to get you one really great gift." Leonardo said as he grabbed his father's gift from underneath the tree.

"I was under the impression you had not purchased anything for me this year…" Master Splinter said, eyeing his sons.

"We had an accomplice." Raphael said with a wink to Kallie. Kallie snickered at the incredulous look the old rat was giving her.

"I believe I have been outsmarted by my sons and a young girl."

"Just open it Sensei!" Mikey urged.

Master Splinter slowly opened the gift and grinned broadly as he saw the vintage Japanese tea set.

"Thank you my sons. This is most excellent." Master Splinter said as he grinned at his boys.

Kallie got up and grabbed her own gifts for the small family. She handed one to each of the boys, including Master Splinter.

Mikey immediately tore into his and gave her a knuckle bump as he took out his new wireless controller. Donnie thanked her for the new tool set she had got him. Raphael punched her in the shoulder lightly as he took out a new motorcycle jacket, big enough to easily fit over his shell. And Leo smiled softly at her as he saw the complete set of all the Marvel Comic Book Superhero movies. He had confessed to her that he loved those movies. Master Splinter thanked her as well as he opened his variety of rare teas that she had ordered from some tea company on the internet.

"We got you a gift too!" Mikey said enthusiastically.

Kallie groaned. "I thought I told y'all not to get me anything?"

Raph snorted. "Yeah, like we're gonna listen to ya."

"Here!" Mikey said as he shoved a gift in her hands.

Kallie scowled at them but they laughed and urged her to open her gift. She did as they told her and tore into her gift, unable to hide her enjoyment at being given a gift. Once the wrapping was torn off Kallie's breath caught in her throat as she looked down at her present.

It was sheet music.

_Her_ sheet music. From her apartment.

"It was the only thing we could salvage and it looked like it was in your handwriting…" Donatello started.

"We thought it mighta been important." Raph added.

"So we spruced it up as much as we could." Mikey supplied.

"If it's not what you needed we thought it'd be nice to at least have something that belongs to you here." Leo commented.

Kallie felt tears sting the corner of her eyes and she blinked them away as she beamed at the boys.

"These are my songs. Songs that I've written throughout the years…this is…the _greatest_ gift. Ever. Thank you."

"Awesome!" Mikey said and Kallie hugged him fiercely. She hugged each one of them, including Raphael even though he simply ruffled her hair.

Best Christmas ever?

Kallie certainly thought so.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Alright, I know it's been over a week since I last updated and I'm so very sorry for that. I have been sick as a dog. Yuck. I hate being sick, but I'm finally better and am trying to get all caught up. So please accept this extra long chapter as a peace offering. As always, please review and let me know what ya think! Thanks! =]]**

**Disclaimer: Even though I was sick, Nickelodeon still won't share. So they're still not mine. **

Chapter 12: Things Are Getting a Bit More Serious…

Kaliyah was on edge.

Well that was an understatement. She was downright freaked out. The note had said that she had a week to get the combination before something worse happened but it's been closer to a month and she hadn't heard a thing. It could be that she'd been living underground since then, but she was still worried. The guys had upped their watch on Kallie's mom and her old work place.

"I think I should go out." Kallie announced as the guys were just lounging in the living room.

Mike was hanging upside down with his feet dangling over the back of the couch, Don was in the recliner with some kind of mechanical gadget in his lap while he kept tapping at it with a screwdriver, Leo was sitting on a pillow in a meditative pose, and Raph was doing pushups with his Sais.

"Fine, take Don or Mike with ya though. It's their turn." Raph huffed.

"I meant by myself."

Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at her. Even Leo opened an eye and quirked a brow at her.

"What do you mean 'by yourself,'?" Mikey asked.

Kallie rolled her eyes. "I meant alone."

Raph snorted. "Fat chance that'll happen."

Kallie put her hands on her hips. "Y'all aren't the boss of me. I can go out whenever I want."

Leo stood to his feet. "Of course you can, but one of us has to be with you."

"Look, guys, I know y'all are just trying to protect me," said Kallie. "But it's been almost a month and we haven't heard anything from whomever it was that burned down my apartment. I think that's because I haven't been out and about without someone with me. If I'm alone they might try to contact me or something."

"Contact you? Kallie, they tried to kill you." Donnie said.

"I think it was more of a warning. If they wanted to kill me they would've waited until I was actually in the apartment before they burned it down." Kallie reasoned.

"Yer not goin' alone and that's final." Raphael said as he cracked his neck.

"Look, I'm doing everything I can to remember this combination," said Kallie, her temper flaring and her voice rising. "Splinter's been on my ass for the past two weeks and so far I'm no closer to remembering the damn thing! I gotta figure this out and the longer we wait the longer it'll take to find the bastards who did this!"

"Kallie…we understand this is hard for you. We're doing everything we can to make this easier on you." Leo started. Kallie immediately felt ashamed. They were being truly wonderful and right now she sounded like an ungrateful brat throwing a temper tantrum about not being able to go outside. "But you have to trust us. You can't go alone. We have no idea what they're going to do next and we just can't risk it."

Mikey jumped up and nimbly made his way to her side. "Why don't we start out slow? Go to work and we'll be right there waiting in the shadows. You won't even know we're there!"

"That's a great idea Mikey." Donnie said as he nodded and smiled at his little brother.

"I dunno…" Kallie trailed off.

"Take it or leave it." Raph said dismissively.

Kallie whipped her head towards him and was about to give him a piece of her mind when Leo cut in. "What he meant was that this is the best plan."

Kallie scowled at Raphael but the red banded turtle merely shrugged and went back to his pushups.

"Alright," Kaliyah conceded. "But I'm calling Kenny and seeing if he has an opening tonight."

The four brothers nodded their agreement and she left to call her boss. Turns out Kenny was absolutely ecstatic that Kallie wanted to come back to work. She assured him that it was only going to be once a week for a little while. Kenny had a list worked up for her already and it was set. She was to sing at 8:30pm. She informed the boys and they immediately went to the dojo for an impromptu training session then immediately went into meditation.

"Kaliyah would please join me for a moment." Master Splinter requested. Kallie nodded and took a deep breath, worried that he would want an impromptu session with her as well.

"Sure thing." She followed the teacher to his room and sat down across from him.

"I understand that you are going back to work."

"Yes sir."

"Do you feel prepared for whatever is out there?" He asked her.

Kallie thought for a moment before answering, "I don't exactly know if one can really be prepared for something like this…I mean, anything could happen. But just because something bad _could_ happen doesn't mean you shouldn't do it because of that possibility alone. If that were the case then no one would do anything. I mean, I could walk across the street and get hit by a taxi. I still walk across the streets though."

Master Splinter nodded. "That is true. You make a very good point. However, you should prepare yourself mentally in case something should go wrong tonight."

"Like, meditate or something?" Kallie asked. Master Splinter had shown her how to meditate a few days ago. She didn't like just sitting around doing nothing, but if she truly concentrated hard enough whenever she got out of her trance she felt energized; as if she had taken a long nap or something.

"I think that would be wise," said Splinter. "I know that you are a strong woman Kaliyah and I am so very proud for how well you have been doing in our personal sessions. I know that you must feel frustrated because you still do not know the combination but please remember that you are also learning to trust others. I feel once we knock down that wall we shall be closer to our goal."

"Why do you care so much?" Kaliyah asked, squinting at the old rat.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"You say that you want to help me," said Kallie. "But why? I know I've asked this of you before but all you said was that you wanted to help me. Why?"

Master Splinter considered the young woman in front of him. She had improved greatly since their very first session. She could get through a session with only a few tears now. The music has greatly helped her.

"You are important to my sons, therefore, you are important to me."

It was a simple answer. And most definitely not the answer she expected. Surely it couldn't just be that. There had to be more to it than that!

"That's it? That's your reasoning? You don't know me very well! Why in the world would you care enough about me to try and help me not only remember some weirdo combination, but also to help me to trust people more?" Kallie shouted before turning her voice softer. "I just…I just don't get it."

Master Splinter stood to his feet and motioned for her to stand as well. He placed his hands on her shoulders and made eye contact with her.

"One does not need something in return in order to give."

"But—"

Master Splinter put a hand up to silence her. "There are no buts about it Kaliyah. None. I care because my sons care for you. Not only that, but because of your spirit, your courage, and your unwillingness to allow someone else to decide who you are. We have known you for a short amount of time, but you are already such an important part of our family. Someday you will realize that in all of the darkness in this world, you can always find light if you look for it."

Kaliyah said nothing as she stared right back into Splinter's eyes. The old rat searched deep within her eyes and saw another piece of the wall crumble. He was so close to completely knocking the wall down. So close.

"We'll see." She finally said.

Splinter nodded. "Yes we shall. Now go. Go and meditate, prepare yourself for this evening."

Kallie nodded and left the room. As Splinter watched her go, he sat down and started meditating himself; praying protection over his sons and the newest addition to their family.

OoOoOoO

"Alright, let's go!" Kallie called out. It was nearing 8 and Kenny got anxious if she wasn't there at least ten minutes early. Kallie decided to wear the glittery blue strapless dress that April had picked out for her three weeks ago. She paired it with a pair of velvet blue heels that made her a good four inches taller. She left her hair down and curly for once because Kenny liked that best. She did kinda need to make it up to him for flaking out on him the past month. Footsteps pounded against the stairs and soon four turtles were staring at her.

Mikey wolf whistled at her. "Oh mama you look _fine_!"

Kallie blushed furiously and Mikey only grinned.

"You always dress like that for this job?" Mike asked.

"Yes. I told you it was a classy joint."

"Do you have anything…er…longer?" Leo asked, blushing a bit himself.

Kallie scowled at him and continued to blush. "No I don't. This is what I wear for work. Now shut it."

Mikey winked at her and she rolled her eyes. Donatello was rubbing his neck and looking sheepish while Raphael was simply smirking.

"Man we seem to always find the hot chicks huh?" Raph commented as they made their way out of the lair.

"Oi! I am not a chick! I'm a woman!"

"Ya sure are."

"Raphael." Leo warned. Kallie snickered. She hadn't really heard them use each other's full names before and it was kinda funny sounding coming out of their mouths.

"Just sayin'."

"Alright, the next person to say something about how I'm dressed is gonna wake up with an appendage missing and floating down a river in Peru." Kaliyah warned.

There was silence for a few minutes, but of course it didn't last.

"How are you gonna travel by rooftop in those heels?" Don asked.

Kallie growled low in her throat.

Don put his hands up. "Hey, that wasn't a comment about how you're dressed. It's an honest question."

"That is true. It's gonna be rather difficult for you," said Leo. "You may wanna go barefoot or something."

"In this cold? Are you kidding me?"

"I'll carry her!" Mikey offered.

Kallie looked skeptically at him. "I can't exactly do this piggy back style."

"We could do bridal style." Mike suggested.

"Oh yeah right! You swing around too much, you'll drop me!" Kallie said.

"Will not!" Mike argued.

"Will too!"

"Will not!"

"Will too!"

"Will n—"

"Mikey for the love of all that is holy please shut up." Raph begged with a hand over his face. "I'll carry her. I know how to do it without screwin' up."

Michelangelo looked ready to argue but decided against it after a look from his oldest brother. They hit the rooftops soon and Raphael scooped Kaliyah in his arms and the five of them made their way to The Duplex. It was a rather long trip and Kallie was really surprised that Raph didn't set her down for a break or anything. In fact, they practically ran the whole way there.

"Alright, now, if for any reason you're attacked what're you going to do?" Leonardo asked as they arrived on the roof of The Duplex.

Kallie sighed. "I'm going to run up here as fast as I can and alert the four of you."

"And what are you going to do if you can't make it up here in time?"

"I'm going to yell and scream and make as much noise as possible so the four of you can hear me."

"If you receive a note from someone you don't know?"

"I'm going to promptly give it to the four of you before opening or reading it myself."

"If a customer offers you a drink…?"

"I'm not going to drink it and I'm going to describe the customer in full detail to the four of you so that you guys can keep an out for him next time."

"And if you—"

"Fearless! She's got the picture!" Raph cried.

Kallie was thankful for his outburst. Leonardo was a worry wart and all the questions were starting to get on her nerves.

"Leo, it's gonna be okay." Kaliyah told him. "I promise."

Leo didn't look convinced but he conceded with a nod. "Be careful."

"I will."

"Good luck!" Donnie said cheerfully.

Kallie smiled at them. "I think y'all should be able to hear me. Let me know what ya think after the show."

"We'll be your American Idol judges!" Mikey said enthusiastically. "I'll be Randy because I'm obviously the coolest out of everyone here. Donnie's Ryan Secrest because he's nice to everyone. Leo's Paula because he's encouraging and always tries to find something positive to say. Raph's Simon because he's rude and obnoxious and no one likes him." Michelangelo ducked and managed to miss the punch Raphael threw in his direction. Kallie laughed and waved to the guys as she made her way down the fire escape and walked in to the bar.

"Kallie!" Kenny exclaimed the moment he saw her. He ran to her and embraced her. Kaliyah was shocked somewhat. The older man had never really displayed that kind of affection towards her before. And before she could really react he was talking a mile a minute about her song list as he pushed her backstage. He wanted her to sing a few classics this time so it was Hallelujah, Crazy Love, and The Weight on her agenda for the night. He wanted her to play the piano as well. He asked a thousand questions about when she would be returning to him again and she told him she could only promise one night a week for now. He was disappointed but happy to at least have her again.

"I've missed you something fierce darling. I am terribly sorry about your apartment. I'm sure you must be overloaded with things right now and of course I don't want to be a burden but this place just isn't the same without your voice filling its halls three nights a week. Of course you do what you need to do in order to get your life back on track. We won't bother you if you don't want to be bothered. But of course you're welcome to sing here any time that you want." Kenny told her without so much as a breath in between.

"Thanks Kenny. I appreciate that." She told him with a bright smile.

"Break a leg sweetheart." He told her.

Kallie nodded and took a deep breath before walking on stage. The crowd stood to their feet and applauded her as she came on stage. Kallie felt her eyes sting with unshed tears. She saw that most of the regulars were in tonight and they were all beaming at her and shouting 'Welcome back!' Kallie sat at the piano and tested the keys for a moment.

"Hello everyone!" She said brightly. "I've missed y'all so much! I apologize for my absence but I've just been going through some stuff and I'm just now getting to a place where I can come back. I'm only going to be singing once a week for a little bit while I continue to adjust. Thanks for y'alls support though. We've got a great list for you tonight! Please be sure to tip the hungry artists!" She added the joke. The audience laughed and she began to play.

It was a good set and the audience received it warmly. They were overly generous as well as she had raked in over $700 in tips alone! Kallie had never done that well before! She mingled a bit with the audience and listened to their sympathy for her plight. She was being as graceful about it as she could be, but it set her teeth on edge a bit.

She didn't like sympathy. She had received enough of that when her father had died; more than enough to last her a lifetime.

It was nearing midnight and Kallie figured the guys were probably bored as all get out. She found Kenny and told him she was leaving.

"Oh darling, I hate to see you go. Please come back quickly. I need my best girl! This was the most profitable night in history!" Kenny exclaimed.

Kallie laughed. "Happy to be of service!"

"Go on then dear. I shall see you next week?"

"Yes sir," said Kallie. "I'll call you first thing Monday to let you know a date."

Kenny waved her goodbye and Kallie went to the dressing room for a moment to put her hair up and grab her coat. Luckily she had left a pair of jeans and a t-shirt a while back and she quickly dressed into the other clothing while stuffing the dress and heels in her bag. She was happy to have tennis shoes on so that she didn't have to be carried all the way back to the lair. She slung her bag over her shoulder and made the climb up to the roof top. She looked around and couldn't see anyone and for a moment she thought they might've gone off to patrol for a minute when all of a sudden a green and orange blur sped past her.

"C'mon guys! Gotta be faster than that!" Michelangelo called.

Kallie turned around and saw Donnie emerging from the shadows, Leo and Raph hot on Mikey's tail.

"What the heck is going on here?!" Kallie demanded.

Don grinned at her. "Ninja Tag."

"Ninja Tag?"

"We play it when we're bored," Don explained. "It normally ends with Leo and Raph chasing after Mikey though."

"Why?"

"He's the fastest out of all of us."

"Really? I would've thought Leo would've been the fastest."

Donnie smirked. "That's what drives him crazy. And of course Raph wants to be better than everyone else just to brag so it drives him just as nuts."

Kallie watched the three other turtles chase each other. It was quite comical. Leo and Raph kept trying to trap Mike but he would slip under them or flip away just in the nick of time. It looked as if he was baiting them.

"Is he letting them get that close on purpose?" Kaliyah asked.

Don nodded, a smirk growing on his face. "He sure is. He loves to rub it in our faces that he's faster than everyone else."

"Why aren't you chasing after him?"

Don snorted. "I got caught first so I'm out."

"So what, is it like teams or something?"

"It wasn't supposed to be," said Don with a scowl. "But Leo and Raph always gang up on me before they shoot after Mikey."

"Well that doesn't seem fair."

"Thank you! It's not! I keep trying to tell them that, but they never listen!"

"All's fair in love and Ninja Tag Donnie!" Mike shouted.

"Says the turtle who never gets caught!" Don shouted back.

Kallie laughed at that. They turned their attention back to the others. Michelangelo was currently taunting his older brothers, calling them 'slow' and 'old.' This seemed to displease Raphael a lot as he growled loudly and lunged for his youngest brother once more. Mike easily dodged it and laughed.

"Alright, play time is over boys. I'm tired and it's cold." Kallie called out to them.

"It ain't over till I catch the little punk." Raph called back.

"Awe c'mon! I'm cold and tired and I just spent the last four hours working my tail off. I need some hot tea to soothe my throat. Plus it's cold."

"You already said it was cold," reasoned Leonardo. "It won't take much longer, he'll tire out eventually."

Kallie groaned. She didn't think it was possible for Mike to tire out.

"Mikey, please just let them catch you!" Kaliyah begged.

"No way! I have a 149-0 record! This'll make 150!"

Kallie looked pleadingly at Donatello but he merely smiled at her and shrugged. Kallie scowled at them. She was _not_ going to wait for Mike to get tired. That just wasn't going to happen. She tried to come up with a plan to entice them to just go back to the lair when Mikey was making his way towards them again, probably to brag to Don or something. He was running past when Kallie shot her hand out and managed to grab onto Michelangelo's belt. He immediately stopped, Raph and Leo stopping dead in their tracks as well. Mike looked down at Kallie's hand and his jaw dropped.

"D-Did she just…" Donnie trailed off.

Raph burst into laughter. He had an arm around his middle as he bent over with laughter. Leo simply looked smug. Donnie joined in Raph's laughter as Mikey just looked dumbstruck.

"Tag." Kallie said simply.

"There goes yer record bro!" Raph managed to choke out between his laughter.

"That doesn't count! She wasn't even playing!" Mike immediately shouted.

"You got tagged, therefore you're out." Leo replied.

"She's not even a ninja! This is 'Ninja Tag.' You have to be a ninja in order to participate! It doesn't count!"

"You can cry about it later. I'm cold. You got tagged, now let's go!" Kallie said as she started making her way towards the fire escape. Donnie patted Mike's shell comfortingly as he tried to hide his own smirk. Raph was still cackling and Leo was even letting out small chuckles here and there as Michelangelo explained why it didn't count.

"This game is just on pause." Mike said firmly.

"Hate to break it to you Mikey, but you got tagged." Leonardo said.

"Ya lost bro. And to a _girl_ no less." Raph added.

"Hey!" Kallie cried.

"No offense." Raph amended.

The argument continued as they finally reached the lair. The five of them were surprised to see that Master Splinter was still up.

"Sensei, what are you doing still up?" Leo asked.

"I wanted to ensure your safety." He replied.

"Everything went rather well Sensei," said Leo. "Nothing out of the ordinary as far as we could tell."

"Everything inside was fine too. The audience was full of locals and regulars. I knew everyone that was in there tonight." Kallie explained. "I even made like a ton of money in tips tonight. In fact, here." She pulled out four hundred and held it out for them.

"Whoa!" Mikey exclaimed.

"What is this?" Leo asked.

"It's for y'all. This should cover groceries for about a week with the way Mikey eats." Kallie said with a smile.

"Kaliyah, we could not accept this." Master Splinter said.

"Why not?" Kallie demanded. "I'm basically interrupting y'alls lives with my presence and you're feeding and housing me. This is barely rent for my current apartment and it's about a tenth of the size of this place. This is the least I can do." She shook her hand slightly, waiting for someone to take it.

Master Splinter didn't look comfortable but Kallie didn't care. They were going to take the money, their pride be damned.

"Kallie, we appreciate the offer but—"

"Look, you can take it now or I can leave it on the table until it rots." Kallie interrupted with a shrug. "Either way it's staying here." She crossed her arms over her chest.

Master Splinter suddenly smiled kindly at her and nodded for Leonardo to take the money. Kallie grinned at them.

"Thank you Ms. Miller. This is awfully kind of you."

"Expect more as I get back to work. I'm not gonna just mooch off y'all."

"Dude, you are so awesome." Mikey said with a grin.

"I know." She replied. She pulled out the rest of her money and something hit the floor. Kallie bent to pick it up and noticed it was a folded up piece of paper.

"Um…guys?" She called; they had all just turned to go off on their own. They turned back towards her and before she knew it the note was plucked out of her hand and was now being read by Raphael.

His features morphed into a scowl as he handed the note to Leonardo who scanned it quickly and looked back up at Kallie.

"Looks like we found our next warning."

He handed the note to Kallie and inside was a small computer printout of a house with a woman sitting on a porch swing.

It was her mother.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews guys! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! I'm so glad y'all are liking the story! This chapter has got some violence in it, so beware! Please review and let me know what y'all think! =]]**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, I still have no rights to the turtles. I wish I did though. Memo to self: find a genie. **

Chapter 13: Ninja Stuff is Dangerous.

Kallie didn't exactly know what to feel.

Right now, the guys were in a flurry of activity figuring out what kind of shifts they were gonna take to keep an eye on Kallie's mom, who was gonna see if April and Casey could help out, who was going to keep an extra eye out for suspicious activity at The Duplex, and a plethora of other things. Kallie had just stood there looking at the picture of her mother. It had been a few months since she had seen her. She had dark brown hair now, she must've dyed it. Kaliyah almost didn't recognize her. Her mother normally had blonde hair like her. She had cut it as well, it hit right at her shoulders now. She could see her mother's husband coming out of the house to join his wife on the porch.

Kallie's stomach lurched.

She hadn't seen Robert since her mother married him. But just like every time she thought of him or heard his voice on the phone, it made her physically ill. This man ruined her family. This man ruined her life.

"Kallie?" Donatello called, pulling her out of her dark musings.

"Hm?" She answered distractedly.

"What's your mother's name?" He asked.

"D-Danika, Danika Collins."

"She works at Macy's?" Leonardo asked.

Kallie nodded. "But not like, at the actual store. She's the marketing director. It's that big building on 5th."

"We'll need eyes on that building Donnie, think you can manage that?" Leo asked.

"I'll tap into the security videos now." And with that, the genius turtle left for his lab.

Raphael and Leonardo went to speak with Master Splinter while Michelangelo talked to Casey or April. Kallie wasn't sure which person he was talking to at the moment. She knew she should feel something, anything really. But right now she was feeling…numb. Most people would be bursting into tears, having panic attacks, or affirming that they were going to do everything in their power to ensure their mother's safety. But Kallie didn't feel any of that. She didn't feel anything.

"Are you okay?" Mikey asked her as he snapped his phone shut.

"I'm fine." She replied.

Mike squinted at her. Something was off with her voice. He couldn't hear the normal defiance in it that she normally had when she was trying to ensure them that nothing was wrong. Michelangelo understood that he hadn't known Kallie for too long, but he picked up on behaviors easily. And this almost…monotone coming out of the young blonde was not normal.

"Are you sure? I mean, you're not like freaking out or anything…aren't you worried?"

Kallie shrugged. "A guy took a picture of her house. She's still alive right?"

Mike slowly nodded, unsure of what to do or say.

"Then she's fine."

"Kallie…your mother is in danger…someone's been watching her close enough to take this picture."

"They haven't said or done anything though," said Kallie. "She's fine."

"We're gonna try to keep that way." Mike told her. "But your mom _is_ in danger Kallie. She could get hurt. These people want to hurt you. Do you understand that?"

Michelangelo looked worried. Kaliyah's eyes were blank, void of any kind of emotion and somewhere in his head the word 'shock' lit up like a neon sign.

"Uh…Donnie?" He called out. Kallie started shaking all of a sudden, tremors shaking her frame and she looked up at him, blue eyes wide and scared now.

"Sh-She…I don't…" Kallie stammered, her heart rate racing as she thought about someone being that close to her mother. All at once all kinds of panicky feelings rushed through her. Her breaths were coming in short gasps, the shakes wracking through her body, sweat beading on her forehead suddenly.

"Donnie!" Mikey called louder, more urgent. He grasped Kallie by the shoulders and tried to calm her down. "It's okay Kallie, she's going to be fine." Mike felt guilty, thinking that it was because of what he said. He just wanted her to understand what was happening.

Don came into the room and saw his little brother trying to calm a clearly shaken up Kaliyah Miller. "Kallie?" Don rushed to her side and Mike moved to allow Doctor Donnie to take care of his patient. The purple banded turtle led Kallie to the couch and sat her down.

"Kallie? Look at me." Don demanded. Kallie just kept shaking and her already light features paled even more. "Mike! Get me a trash can or something!"

Mikey got there just in time for Kallie to retch right inside the newly offered trash can. Donatello held the bucket while Mikey rubbed her back soothingly with one hand and holding her hair with the other. And just when Kallie thought it was over, her stomach decided otherwise. Her face was once again in the trash can as she heaved everything up once again. Kallie's eyes were streaming and she was shaking even more now, trying to catch her breath as her stomach continued to roll.

"Are you okay?" Mike asked softly.

Kallie nodded. "F-Fine."

"You're coming down from shock. It can be…exhausting." Don explained. "I need you to lie down okay? I'm gonna get you some sprite, it should help relax your stomach."

Mikey scooted over and Kallie practically collapsed on top of him. She was shivering again and Michelangelo shifted and allowed her to lay her head on his lap, pulling an old quilt over her. Donatello came back in and saw his little brother comforting their new friend. He quietly set the soda down and nodded at Mikey, who returned the nod, and left to talk with Leo, Raph and his Sensei.

"I don't want her to get hurt." Kallie finally whispered.

"I know."

"We don't get along, but I would never want anything bad to happen to her."

"I know." He responded, stroking her hair.

"I dunno what to do…" Kallie said, sounding on the verge of tears.

"We're gonna take care of it," Michelangelo promised. "Right now though, you need to sleep."

"I've gotta help my mom." Kallie said, struggling to get up.

Mike gently pulled her back down. "No, you need to sleep. Leo and Raph have first watch, Casey and April during the day, and Donnie and me tomorrow night. We're gonna make sure she's safe."

"Promise?" Kallie whispered.

"Promise." Michelangelo replied. Kallie sighed, her body slowly losing the fight of consciousness.

OoOoOoO

The next two days were spent with keeping Kaliyah as underground as possible. She called Kenny and told him that she had the flu and wouldn't be able to sing for another week or two. Donnie was constantly in his lab, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious at her mom's work. She had rarely seen the purple turtle except for a few moments when he grabbed a cup of coffee or went to the bathroom. Kaliyah noticed that he wasn't eating regularly, none of them really were. They were all too busy with trying to keep an eye on her and deal with her problems. That's what really ticked Kallie off about this whole situation; she couldn't do a damn thing to help. Every time she offered to do something she was shot down. The guys always had a reason not to include her on their shifts; 'it's too dangerous,' and 'you aren't trained like we are' or 'don't worry about it, we've got it,' or Kaliyah's personal favorite 'shut ya trap and stay here!'

That was Raph's reason.

Well, they weren't going to keep her away from this shift. She was going to put her foot down whether they liked it or not. If they thought Raphael was stubborn, they haven't seen anything yet!

It was nearing 11pm and Donnie's and Mikey's shift was coming up again and they were preparing for it. Leo had Donnie's lab for the night while Raph was out with Casey for a patrol at The Duplex.

"I'm going with you." Kallie told Donatello and Michelangelo.

Donnie's eyes went wide while Mikey just grinned at her and rolled his eyes. "Sure sure."

"I mean it." Kallie stated firmly.

"Kallie…you can't come with us. It's too dan—"

"If you say it's too dangerous, so help me Mike I will hide every single one of your comic books."

Mike looked absolutely terrified at the threat.

"It's not worth the risk Kallie." Donatello tried.

"Don, I need to be there. I need to see for myself that my mom is okay."

"I understand that Kallie, really I do, but it's not a possibility." Don replied.

"It _is_ a possibility and it _is_ happening."

"No it's not." A new voice said. Kallie looked up and saw Leo standing in the lab's doorway with his arms folded across his chest.

"Yes it is." Kallie said.

Leo sighed and made his way towards them. "Kallie…"

"Don't 'Kallie' me! I need to see my mom and y'all aren't gonna stop me."

"This isn't a matter of what you want; this is a matter of protecting you _and_ your mom." Leo insisted.

"Me being there isn't going to affect things that much alright? I haven't seen her in months and I need to see her now!"

"Kaliyah, this isn't up for discussion." Leo said in his 'I'm the leader' voice.

"This isn't your decision Leonardo." Kallie said dangerously quiet.

Leo looked at her angrily. He clearly wanted to argue this with her but he could see that Kaliyah wasn't going to change her mind. He did not want her to accompany Mike and Don. But if she didn't go with them there was a possibility of her leaving on her own without anyone looking after her, and that was an even worse option. He was stuck with two sucky options. He had a decision to make; allow her to go or lock her in her room. Leo sighed inwardly; he couldn't really lock her in her room. She'd probably claw her way out and then cut his head off with a machete or something.

Leonardo fixed a stern glare at his two little brothers. "You keep an eye on her at _all times_. The moment something seems fishy you get her and Mrs. Collins out of there immediately. Understand?"

"Of course."

"You got it dude!"

Leo turned to look at Kallie. "You do _everything_ they tell you to do. If they tell you to run, then you run. If they tell you stay put, then you stay put. Understand?"

Kaliyah felt her temper rise at Leo for trying to tell her what she can and cannot do, but the look of fear and concern in his eyes.

"I understand." She told him with a nod.

"Let's go Kallie." Mikey told her. "Before Leo changes his mind. We'll be back by 3!"

OoOoOoO

On the way to Kaliyah's mothers house a thousand different thoughts were racing through Kallie's head. What would her mother say? Should she call her beforehand? What if Robert was there? It's really late, what if she wasn't up? What if all they did was scream and fight with each other like they used to? Kallie had so many different questions, so many worries. She didn't want to fight with her mother tonight though, that was one thing she was certain of. She had no idea what she was going to tell her mom. This late night visit was definitely out of the ordinary for Kallie. The last time she'd been over to her mom's house hadn't exactly been a pleasant experience.

Kaliyah had gone over there to pick up some of her old sheet music. Danika had started out pretty nice, but as always it eventually turned into a power trip. Kallie had let it slip that she was working at The Duplex. She had freaked and told her to quit immediately. Her mother always had to try and tell Kallie what to do. It drove her nuts. She wasn't even living with her anymore and her mom was still trying to tell her what to do. And what's worse is that Robert had walked in a few minutes later and tried to enter the conversation. Kallie had told him to go to hell and Danika of course screamed at her. Kaliyah ended up storming out and promising never to come back.

And now here she was about to go visit her mother when she knew full and well that Robert would be there too. Kallie felt sick again. She didn't want to throw up again though. It had been embarrassing enough two days ago. She had to see her mother and this was the only way. Mikey and Donnie were the two who were with her when she had freaked out, so Kallie was grateful for that. Mikey and Donnie kept looking at her, checking that she was okay. She would try to smile encouragingly at them, but she could tell they didn't believe it.

They finally arrived and Kallie felt her heart slamming against her chest and her breath hard to come by. She felt another panic attack coming but she breathed in deeply and counted to ten like Mikey had told her. It helped a little bit.

"Alright, Mikey and I will be on the roof and keeping an eye out alright? If you see anything suspicious, notify us immediately." Donatello told her.

Kallie nodded.

"You gonna be okay?" Mikey asked.

"Y-Yeah. It's…it's just been a while." She waved to the guys and slowly made her way to the house. The lights were still on so that was a good sign that her mother was still awake. She raised a shaky hand to the doorbell and rang it.

"Who would be here at this—Kaliyah?" Her mother said as she opened the door.

"Uh…hey mom."

"Oh my God Kaliyah!" Danika cried as she threw her arms around her daughter. "I've been so worried! I haven't heard from you since you hung up on me last month! I've called and left messages but you haven't returned them!"

And then Kallie felt a smack to the back of her head.

"OW! Mom! What the hell?" Kallie cried, rubbing the offended spot.

"Don't scare me like that!" Danika chastised. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you!"

Kallie scowled at her mother and rolled her eyes before mumbling, "M'sorry."

Danika ushered her daughter into the living room and the two women sat down. Danika grabbed some sodas a moment later and came back, eyes brimming with tears now.

"It's…it's been so long Kaliyah…"

"I know mom."

"I'm so glad you're here. I've missed you so much!" Danika said as she wrapped her arms around her daughter once again. Kallie awkwardly patted her back, not really used to this kind of affection from her mother.

"So uh…how've ya been?" Kallie asked once her mom sat back again.

"Busy. Work has been crazy lately with all of the holidays of course. We'll slow down again after New Year's. How have you been? Where are you staying? Were you able to save anything from your apartment?"

"Um…I've been okay. I took all my exams early."

"Did you get good grades?"

"Yeah, all As actually."

"Kaliyah that's fantastic! Great job!"

"Uh…thanks. And I've been staying with some friends. They've been really great and super accommodating. And no…I uh…I wasn't able to save anything…"

Danika's expression softened and she grabbed her daughter's hand. "I'm so sorry sweetie."

Kaliyah took her hand back and shrugged. "S'fine."

"So your violin and piano…?"

"Gone," said Kallie. "But the tur—er…my roommates found some of my old sheet music and gave it to me for Christmas. They also found me a violin and piano."

"Sounds like great friends. When can I meet them?" She asked.

Kallie blanched at first, but then quickly schooled her features. "I dunno, they work at night and sleep during the day most of the time. They have wacky schedules."

"Oh, well I'm glad you're being taken care of." Danika said with a genuine smile. It made Kallie feel kinda guilty. It seemed as if her mom was really trying.

For once.

"Where's your husband?" Kallie asked. She normally tried never to use his name.

Danika sighed. "Working a late shift tonight. There's been a lot of gang activity lately so he's been working a lot of the later shifts. It worries me."

Kallie didn't say anything. She was just glad the man wasn't here; it'd make things a lot more awkward than they already were.

"Kaliyah, not that I'm…ecstatic to see you, but what are you doing here? And so late too."

"I dunno…I was just in the neighborhood…"

Danika arched a brow at her.

Kallie sighed. "Honestly mom…I have no idea why I'm here. I just…I just felt like I needed to see you, like right away; to make sure that you're alright."

Danika's eyes softened. "I'm fine sweetie."

"Good." Kallie said lamely.

"I really have missed you." Danika said, reaching up and cupping Kaliyah's face. "I'm so sorry your last visit was so awful."

Kallie pulled back and turned away again.

"It's fine mom."

"No it's not, sweetie I—"

"Mom, really, it's fine. Forget about it. It was a long time ago and I didn't come here to fight or to hear any apologies," Kallie interrupted. "I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright." Kallie heard tires coming up and her heart dropped.

Robert.

"I have to go." Kallie said, standing to her feet.

"So soon? But you just got here!" Danika protested.

"I'll call you soon okay?" Kallie said, trying to bolt it out of there as fast as possible before Robert showed up. Kallie wouldn't be able to hold her tongue if he showed up.

"Kaliyah please!" Her mom grabbed her arm. "He cares about you too! Just give him a chance!"

Kallie wrenched her arm out of Danika's grasp. "He cares about me? That's a load of bull and you know it! I gave him a chance and he blew it!"

"You started screaming at him immediately, what was he supposed to do?"

"There you go defending him! You _always_ defend him!" Kallie shouted.

"Kaliyah—"

"No. I'm done. I'm glad you're fine, but I could care less about him. I'll call you later." And with that she was making her way to the door. Unfortunately Robert was opening it.

"Kaliyah! What're you doing here?" He asked surprised.

Kallie shoved past him and didn't say a word as she ran as fast as she could across the street; her heart slamming in her chest and her stomach rolling. She reached the playground across the street and collapsed to her knees. Her body was screaming for her to throw up, but she kept it down. She didn't want to give Robert the satisfaction that he got to her. Not that he would know of course, but Kallie would and that was just as bad.

"Kallie?" A cautious voice called out.

Kaliyah jumped, whipping her head around to see Donatello and Michelangelo approaching her.

"M'fine." She panted.

Don looked skeptical. "Are you sure?"

Kallie nodded.

"We've still got a while for this shift…do you wanna stay or go back to the lair?" Don asked her.

"No, y'all have a job to do. I'll wait."

And wait they did.

Luckily there wasn't much action the whole night and the three left when Casey showed up. The older man joked a bit with her trying to cheer her up. She gave him a forced smile before insisting that she was exhausted. The trip back to the lair was a silent one and Kallie was grateful her two companions weren't asking any questions. She didn't exactly want to explain everything to them. They were almost to the manhole cover when Kallie was violently pushed to the ground. She tried to get up quickly to ask what the hell the guys were thinking when she heard,

"Kallie! Call Leo and Raph!"

Kaliyah wasted no time in hitting the emergency button on Donatello's shell cell that he had just thrown at her. She was gonna call immediately after but the phone was knocked out of her hand. Kallie gasped as she saw they were surrounded by people in black body suits. They had red headbands and this weird red symbol on their chests. They looked like ninja's as well. One was rearing back to strike her but soon he was knocked to the ground by Don's Bo.

"Run!" Mikey shouted at her as he whacked a guy in the head with his nunchuck. Kallie got to her feet but was she was not about to leave them. The battle was fierce as about twenty or so guys all went at Mikey and Donnie. A few of them looked as if they were trying to get to her, but Don and Mike blocked them every time they tried. Kallie looked around as saw an old pipe lying on the ground, she quickly ran to it and sent it smacking into the stomach of one of the ninjas. Another was advancing at her and she was about to whack him with it when something pierced him in the neck. Blood sprayed the ground and Raphael pulled his Sai out of the guys' neck. Kallie stared in shock. She had never really thought about them actually _killing_ people before.

"Get outta here!" Raphael growled at her. Kallie shook her head, pulling herself out of her stupor. She grabbed her pipe again and was ready to strike if anyone came close to her. She couldn't just abandon the guys. She needed to help and ensure that they were safe.

The battle wasn't a long one luckily. There was a lot of blood though. Leo and Raph sliced through ninja after ninja after ninja. Leo sliced through one guy's neck, almost severing the head while Raph stabbed a guy right through the heart before twisting upwards and pulling his weapon out. They struck to kill. Mike and Don didn't seem to kill though. They both seemed okay with just knocking them towards their older brothers and letting them deal the death blows. There was only one ninja left and he was battling Mikey. Mike taunted the guy a bit before something was thrown at him and Mike went down. Raphael growled loudly as he threw a Sai into the guys face. The enemy went down immediately and the rest went straight to Mikey, Kallie following suit.

"Mikey!" Kallie cried.

"Ow, ow, ow! Freaking-A! This _hurts_!"

"Stop squirming Mikey, I need to see the damage." Donatello was saying. Kallie saw some kind of metal looking star sticking out of Michelangelo's thigh.

"Oh my gosh Mikey! Are you okay?!" Kallie shouted.

Mike looked at her and tried for an easy smile. "Course, it's just a scra—DONNIE!" Mike clenched his other leg and screwed his eyes shut as Donatello poked at the wound.

"Damage?" Leo asked.

"Nothing severed as far as I can tell, it didn't go very deep. Let's get him to the lab."

Raphael wiped the blood from his weapons and made his way over to them. "C'mon Mikey." He grunted as he threw Mikey's arm over his shoulder and hauled him to his feet.

"Jeez friggin' Louise this hurts!" Mike complained.

"Should we really be moving him?" Kallie asked. "I kept help but think this is a really bad idea."

"We need to get it out and I have everything I need in my lab." Don explained.

"He's had worse." Raph added.

Kallie didn't even want to think about that as they slowly made their way back to the lair. Michelangelo was complaining the whole time, although he kept throwing her winks while telling Raph that he would have to do his chores for the next week since he couldn't possibly stand on his leg.

The all convened in the lab, minus Master Splinter who was sleeping and Leo insisted not to wake him, when Kallie finally asked the question she'd been dying to ask.

"Who the hell were those guys?" Kallie asked as Mikey sat on the medical table and Donatello rummaged for some supplies.

"Foot ninjas." Leo answered.

"Foot ninjas?" Kallie asked incredulously.

"Old enemies. Karai is in charge of them now, ever since we got rid of the Shredder." Leo said.

"I'm guessing they got some kinda grudge against y'all?" Kallie asked wryly.

Leo sighed. "Unfortunately."

"Alright Mikey, take these." Donnie said, handing the younger turtle a few pills.

Mikey looked dubiously at him. "These are gonna make me loopy."

"You'll sleep and it'll help with the pain." Don said. "Take them."

Mikey scowled at him before downing the pills. Don wasted no time in yanking the offending object out of Mikey's thigh. Mike suppressed a scream and Don started bandaging him up.

"C'mon little brother, let's get ya to the couch." Raph said as he helped Mikey to his feet. Kallie followed and sat down next to Mikey.

"Hate gettin' hurt." Mikey mumbled. His eyes were looking glossy and heavy lidded. Kallie could tell that the pain meds were kicking in now.

"I know bro." Raph answered.

"S'not fun." Mikey slurred.

Raph looked at Leo. "Go on, I got it. Make sure Donnie gets to sleep."

Leo nodded and went into the lab, returning a few moments later with a very sleepy looking Don. Raph looked exhausted too. Mikey was leaning against Kaliyah now and she scooted down to let Mikey lay down, his head in her lap; mirroring what he had let her do a few days ago.

"Go to bed Raph." Kallie commanded softly. "I've got him."

Raph looked ready to argue, but he looked down at his sleeping little brother and decided that Kallie had him sorted. Kallie watched him go upstairs and she grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and threw it over them.

"Sorry ya fought with yer mom." Mikey slurred.

Kallie started stroking his head. "It's okay Mikey."

"S'not 'kay. You des've a good fam'ly."

Kallie started singing softly, an old lullaby that her dad used to sing to her when she was sick.

"We could be yer fam'ly." He slurred again, his breathing finally evening out. Kallie couldn't help but smile. Mikey always knew exactly what to say and when to say it. Even under narcotics. Kallie continued to sing and stroke Mikey's head, wanting to comfort him in the only way she knew how.

Leonardo looked in at his little brother and their new friend. Kaliyah had been through so much in such a short amount of time, but here she was comforting his baby brother as if it were second nature to her. He was very thankful for her presence in their lives. He sat there and listened to her singing, loving how beautiful her voice was. He found himself slowly growing more tired as he continued listening to the lullaby. With one final look he left, knowing that his brother was in good hands.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I hope y'all like this chapter! I had a lot of fun with it! Took me a while to get it out though, lol. Read on my dears! Read on!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing blah, blah, blah. **

Chapter 14: Revelations

Kallie was dreaming. Mikey could tell it wasn't exactly a good dream; she was muttering things and was restless. It was close to 7 in the morning and the drugs had finally worn off, leaving Michelangelo wide awake. Kallie was still sleeping though. She was stretched out beside him, almost tucked inside of the couch. Mikey could see her eyes moving rapidly beneath her closed lids, her brow furrowed as if she were scowling.

"Don't…" She muttered. Mike almost thought she was talking to him until she sighed and snuggled closer into the couch. Michelangelo heard someone shift and he turned slightly, looking over his shoulder and saw Leo and Master Splinter. He gave them a nod and they returned it, walking into the kitchen.

"Please…" Kaliyah whimpered.

Mike decided it was time for her to wake up. He knew nightmares sucked big time and he wasn't about to let her suffer.

"Kallie." Michelangelo gently nudged her. She merely groaned and turned her head. Mikey chuckled a bit. "C'mon Kallie, it's wake up time."

"G'way." She mumbled sleepily.

"No can do," said Mike. "It's time for all little blondes to wake up."

"M'not little…"

Michelangelo chuckled.

"I'll make pancakes." Mike offered. Kallie shifted and finally looked up with bleary eyes at him. She stretched her arms above her head and brought them down again, pushing her long curly hair out of her face.

"Chocolate chip?" Kallie asked, sounding all of four years old.

Mikey laughed. "Sure sure."

"Kay."

Michelangelo shifted and slowly pulled his arm out from underneath Kallie, shaking feeling back into it.

"How is it that Mikey always gets to sleep with the chicks?" Raph asked as he helped his little brother get up from the couch.

Mike sent him a wink. "Cuz I'm the pretty one."

Kaliyah couldn't help but laugh at that.

"We just fell asleep Raph." Kallie told him.

Raph rolled his eyes, trying to hide his smirk. "Whateva. Yer just gonna give him a big head. He already thinks he's a playa."

"Don't be jealous of my swag Raph."

Kallie burst out laughing at that. "Swag?" She asked.

"Don't encourage him Kallie." Leo said, grabbing Mikey in a loose head lock. Mike laughed and struggled to get out of his oldest brother's hold. Raphael tightened his hold of Mike's arm and ran his fingers along Mike's right side. Mikey squirmed, laughing louder when Leo mirrored Raph's move.

"Stop!" Michelangelo begged.

Kallie walked into the kitchen and laughed at their antics. They could all be too adorable for words sometimes. Leo and Raph had pity for the orange banded turtle and stopped. The youngest turtle limped away to the counters, getting out a spatula and wooden spoon, holding them like weapons as if warding off his two older brothers.

"Somehow I didn't peg you as being ticklish." Kallie commented, fixing a pot of coffee.

Master Splinter chuckled. "Michelangelo has always been rather sensitive."

"All of us are…well except Leo," said Mikey. "He's never been ticklish. That sucked too."

Leo smirked. "You three more than made up for my un-ticklishness."

"You _tortured_ us." Donatello commented, entering the kitchen.

"He's gotta point." Raph added.

Mike whirled around with his mixing bowl and glared at the red banded turtle. "You helped him most of the time!"

"It was either that or get it myself!" Raph defended. "It ain't my fault Fearless here fought dirty!"

"Hey, there were times when it was your idea to gang up on the little ones." Leonardo said.

"Little ones?" Kallie asked.

"Donnie and Mikey." Raph answered.

Don groaned. "Ugh…I forgot you used to call us that."

"That's almost as adorable as y'all being ticklish."

"Not all of us are." Leonardo pointed out with a smug smile.

"I find it hard to believe you're not ticklish," said Kallie. "Everyone is ticklish somewhere."

Michelangelo had a mischievous glint in his eyes as he looked at Kallie. "I'm assuming you're included in this 'everyone is ticklish' thing?"

Kallie's eyes widened. "Don't even think about it."

"Do not worry Kaliyah," said Master Splinter. "We shall talk later so that you have plenty of ammo."

"Master Splinter!" Mikey cried sounding outraged.

Kallie laughed. "Thanks but no thanks. I'm not one to start fights I know I can't win."

Mike smiled smugly.

"We could always help you out Kallie." Don offered. Kallie turned to Michelangelo and smiled evilly, he 'eeped' and hastily turned around, going back to mixing the pancake mix. The others sat at the table and Kallie joined them.

"Have you finished re-writing your father's letters?" Master Splinter asked her.

"Yes. They're all finished."

"Good. We shall have a session today then." Master Splinter said.

Kallie wasn't exactly feeling up to a session, especially after the roller coaster of emotions that had slammed right into her after talking to her mother last night. Mikey was piling pancakes on a plate now and Raph was helping him pass them out. He must've seen the look on Kallie's face.

"Uh Sensei? Maybe we should give Kallie some rest time."

The old rat looked at Kallie and tilted his head. "Do you feel as if you need rest Kaliyah?"

"Um…maybe?" Kallie then sighed. "I dunno actually. I mean, I'm exhausted from seeing my mom and it not going so well. But I really wanna figure this out." She lifted her chin, her jaw set in a defiant manner. "I'm fine. We'll have as many sessions as need be."

Master Splinter smiled at her. "As you wish."

Mikey gave her a worried look but she smiled at him and that seemed to ease his mind. The 6 of them ate breakfast and Kallie volunteered to do the dishes while the boys got ready for morning practice. Once the kitchen was cleaned Kallie joined them. Mikey was sitting in a chair with his leg propped up on a pillow on the other side of the dojo.

"Side-lined?" Kallie asked.

Mikey nodded. "It sucks." He said petulantly.

"Well you're injured," said Kallie. "You really shouldn't be doing too much."

"I can still help." He pouted. Kallie couldn't help but think he looked absolutely adorable.

"How old are you?" She asked as the others went through a Kata.

"17. Donnie did some tests years ago and determined our age," explained Mike. "But we all mutated at the same time."

"So how old are the rest of them?"

"Donnie's 18, Raph is 19, and Leo just turned 20."

"Are y'all positive about that?"

Michelangelo shrugged. "Donnie is, so that's good enough for me."

Kallie smiled at the absolute trust that Mikey seemed to have for his family. They really seemed so very close to one another.

"You're all so young." Kallie commented.

Mike snorted. "You're as old as Leo."

"I feel older." Kallie muttered.

"I feel older sometimes too." Mikey said with absolutely no humor to his voice. Kallie looked at him and couldn't help but think that there was so much more to their story than what they've told her. The fact that they had actually killed people just last night told her that they were years older than what they truly were.

The two of them watched the others finish their practice session. Mikey commenting every once in a while about what move they were doing. The practice session finished and Kaliyah followed Master Splinter into his room while the other three turtles helped Mikey get comfortable on the couch.

"Do you have the letters?" Master Splinter asked.

Kallie nodded and pulled them out of her pocket. She clutched them in her hand as if they were her lifeline. Master Splinter offered her an understanding smile.

"I know that these written words are precious to you," said Splinter. "And I understand that you may want them to belong to you and you alone. However, it is imperative that you allow me to study them."

Kallie held on a bit tighter, feeling all the air in her lungs rush out all at once. "And you…really think that…he may have…known something?" She panted.

"Calm yourself Kaliyah." The old rat told her gently. Kaliyah took a deep shuddering breath and released it. "It's alright to not want to share these. I understand. Do not rush; we have all the time in the world."

Kallie tried to control her breathing and her heart race but it was hard. She literally felt as if she was handing over a piece of her soul. This wasn't easy. She had memorized every letter he had sent her the day he died. She had sat in her closet, completely alone as she clutched his letters to her chest and sobbed. A few weeks later she had made that scrapbook. Her world was turned upside down when her father had passed, and there was still a hole in her heart that she wasn't sure would ever be filled again. Splinter seemed to understand how she felt. She knew that he had lost his teacher and he seemed to have loved him like a father. In all honesty he wasn't really asking too much of her, so she took a deep breath and handed Splinter the letters. He grasped her hand and squeezed it.

"I am going to read over these and copy them myself and when I am finished I want you to dissect each one, letter by letter."

Kaliyah nodded.

"Please tell Leonardo that I would like to see him. And I am sure that Raphael would be most interested in giving you a training lesson today."

"Of course." She replied, standing to her feet. Master Splinter stood with her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Ease your mind of this for now. Concentrate on your physical training." He encouraged.

Kallie smirked slightly before bowing and saying, "Hai Sensei."

Master Splinter smiled brilliantly at her before returning the bow. Kallie walked out of the room and felt marginally better, and planning on giving everything she had in her session with Raphael. She saw Leo sitting next to Mikey and watching some cartoon. Michelangelo was completely engrossed in the show and barely registered Kallie's presence.

"Master splinter would like to see you Leo." She told him.

Leo looked up then snuck a glance at Mikey who was totally oblivious to his brother's knowing eye, before standing and nodding at Kaliyah, making his way to Master Splinter's room. Kallie sprinted to her room to change into a pair of sweats quickly, pulling her hair into a ponytail before making her way back down stairs.

"Where's Raph?" Kallie asked Mike.

Mikey shrugged and grunted. Kallie rolled her eyes and then took a deep breath before screaming, "RAPHAEL GET YOUR AS—BUTT DOWN HERE!" Kallie changed her words in order to avoid the chastising Splinter was sure to give her if he had heard her use such language.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YA WANT BLONDIE?!" Raph's rough voice bellowed.

"MASTER SPLINTER SAID YOU HAVE TO GIVE ME MY NEXT TRAINING SES—!" Before she could even finish her sentence Raphael was there, cracking his knuckles and smirking down at her.

"My pleasure."

"Could you two _please_ keep it down? I'm trying to watch T.V. here!" Mike complained.

Raphael ignored him and steered Kaliyah towards the dojo.

"So, what's first?" Kallie asked.

"What's the last thing ya did with Leo?" He asked.

"We did like three Kata's." Kallie told him. "Then a sparring session. Although, it was more like a 'you really suck at this Kallie' type of session."

Raph barked out a laugh. "Well ya definitely ain't no ninja, but ya can swing a bat pretty damn good. How 'bout a sparring session and then we'll try some weapons?"

"Like, real weapons?" Kallie asked, trying to contain her enthusiasm.

Raph smirked at her. "Yes 'like real weapons'."

"This is gonna be so cool!" She practically squealed.

Raphael rolled his eyes. "Yer gonna start out with wooden ones like all good little newbies."

"Wooden ones? That's such a rip off!"

"Get over it," Raph told her, throwing a Bokken at her. "We all started out with these. Ape did too."

Kallie caught the wooden sword easily and swung it back and forth a few times, trying to get the feel for it. And then the session started. Raph was a surprisingly good teacher. He got a bit impatient at times though when she didn't necessarily catch on as quickly as he thought she should've, but other than that she had learned a lot. She hadn't really managed to get any good hits in on Raphael, but he did shake his hand a few times after he had caught the Bokken; that had made her smile. After her session with Raph it was time for the guys to do another training session themselves, and just like last time Kaliyah had stayed with Mikey while they watched the others. Master Splinter joined in this time and the three of them tried to take their Sensei down, but the old rat had some _major_ skills. Every time they were close to landing a hit or knocking him down he just appeared on the other side of them. It looked like magic. The three boys were breathing a bit heavily after an hour of this and Master Splinter finally had pity on them, informing them that the session was over. Don fell to the floor, his Bo draped over his stomach, Raph had his hands on his knees and even Leo was leaning against the wall as if he needed the support.

"He totally kicked y'alls ass." Kallie smirked.

Raph scowled at her. "I'd like…to see ya…try to take…him on…" He panted.

Kallie laughed and held up her hands. "I'm good, thanks anyways."

Leo chuckled and grabbed a towel, wiping the sweat from his face. "Raph, you and Casey have first watch, Donnie and April have second, and me and Master Splinter are taking third."

"What about me?" Mikey pouted.

Leo shook his head. "Sorry Mikey, you're out for the rest of the week."

"Not cool dude."

Leo patted Mikey's head. "Cool or not, that's how it's gonna be."

"What about me?" Kallie asked. "I could help."

Leo snorted. "Not after last night. Now we know the Foot are involved and they aren't to be toyed with. It's even more dangerous now than it was a few days ago."

"I could still help."

Leo shook his head and gave her a firm look. "You got to see your mother yesterday like you wanted."

Kallie opened her mouth to say something but Leo held up a hand and stopped her. "This isn't up for discussion." He said and then left the room.

Kallie scowled at his shell. "He's starting to get on my nerves." She muttered.

"Welcome to my world." Raphael added. "As much as this pains me to say it though, Fearless is right. It's too friggin' dangerous right now. Yer best bet is to stay here and make sure Mikey doesn't do nuttin' stupid."

"Hey!" Was Mike's cry of outrage.

"Fine, Mikey and I will just have our own party then!" Kallie said, sounding more like a petulant child than the 20 year old adult she was.

Raph walked by and patted her on the head. "Good girl."

"I'm not a dog!" She shouted after him. Donnie chuckled and helped Mikey to his feet. Lunch was next and after that Mikey settled on the couch and took a nap, Raph went to meet Casey for their first shift while Donnie went into his lab to watch security footage of Kallie's mom and Leo went to talk with Master Splinter. Kaliyah figured it was as good a time as any to go analyze her dad's letters. She sprinted up to her room and got out the pages she had written for Master Splinter. She made a small little cave in the corner of her closet and turned on the light. It had been a while since she had read any of the letters and even though she had written them she hadn't really taken the time to appreciate the words. She unfolded the first one and read each word, remembering how she felt when she had first read the letters.

_My dearest daughter, _

_Words cannot describe how proud of you I am! All As this semester?! Great job kid! Your mom told me that your choir concert went well too. Good job on nabbing the solo! You have such a great voice. I'm so sorry I missed it; I'll definitely be there for your spring concert though. Only a few more months left of this tour and I'll be home. I miss you so much kid. I keep bragging about you to all my soldiers. They feel like they know you personally now. Of course it doesn't help that I keep showing them YouTube videos of you singing either though. What is it you kids write these days? 'Lol?' Am I too old to use that? I'm sure you're rolling your eyes right now. Lol. Ha! See? I can use it! I've gotta go now though. I'll write again soon. Keep your chin up and take care of your mom for me alright? I love you Kaliyah. _

_4ever and ever kid,_

_-Dad. _

Kallie smiled, tears threatening to pour from her eyes. He always did something silly like that when signing his letters. He made each one so silly and so personal, leaving his own mark on each one. He said he always bragged about her to his soldiers. At his funeral several of them had enveloped her in huge bear hugs, claiming that they felt like she was their daughter as well. A few of them had written to her for a few months after her dad had died. She was thankful for their stories of her dad. She wouldn't have made it those first few months without their kind words. She opened another letter.

_Kaliyah Ann Miller, _

_Like how I used your whole name? I know you aren't a big fan of Kaliyah, but Kallie isn't all it's cracked up to be either. Just kidding. I just have a hard time calling you Kallie, especially since your mother gets so upset when I do. Don't let her read that part. And if you do, just kidding honey! I love you oh so much! And Kaliyah was a brilliant name!_

_So…anyways my favorite daughter (even though you're my only one) your mom tells me that your math scores have dropped some. I know math isn't exactly your favorite subject, but you need to pick those up. Good grades get you into a good college. You don't wanna have to rely on only your voice. I mean, don't get me wrong kid, you will have colleges lined up to hand you scholarships, but academics are just as important. I know you're smart enough, so work hard to bring that grade back to at least a B alright? I'm still so proud of you though. Can't wait to see you! Only two more months. They'll go by quickly I promise. And remember to cut your mother some slack, she's doing the best she can. I love you kid. _

_T8ke care daughter of mine,_

_-Dad_

Kallie went through the rest of them one by one, six letters total. He had only been gone for 3 months before he had died. It was supposed to be a short term, only six months. He had barely made it half way. Kallie traced her fingers over the words, tears spilling onto her cheeks.

And that's when she noticed it.

Every single time he ended the letter he incorporated a number of some sort! That was it! Kaliyah grabbed the letters and ran as fast as she could down the stairs, she tripped on the last one and went sprawling across the floor.

"Kallie?" Mikey called, looking over the back of the couch with concerned eyes. She scrambled to her feet as Leonardo, Donatello, and Master Splinter entered the room, wanting to see what all the commotion was about.

"What is it Kaliyah?" Master Splinter asked.

"I think I know the combination."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay y'all. My brother just left for Afghanistan and I haven't exactly been in the writing spirit. I got this chapter out though and I hope y'all like it! There's a lot of Leo in this and some Donnie too. They kinda came outta nowhere and were like "Hey! I have a story!" So I listened, cuz they're ninjas and I'm not. Leave me some love please, I could use it! =]]**

**Disclaimer: I'm still poor and therefore do not own the turtles. **

Chapter 15: Combinations, Family Time, and a Possible Road Trip.

The numbers were 864408. That's the order they were in with the letters, starting from the first one Kaliyah's dad had sent, to the last one. Donnie had told them all that the number sequence had over 100 different possibilities. That was the first problem. The second problem was they had no idea what the combination was for! It could be anything! A password, a locker combination, a keypad combination, the list goes on and on. The third problem was that now that they had the combination where did they go from there? Should they let the Foot know they had the combination? Or the Purple Dragons? Were they even the ones who were really behind this?

Too many questions and not enough answers.

Kallie's head was pounding by the end of the night. She was sitting on the couch and pouring over the letters, trying to find some clue as to what the combination went to. She was also compiling a list of everything her and her dad had done together; movies they had seen, theme parks they had gone to, concerts they had attended. Everything she could possibly think of. The guys were all home now, their shifts having ended a few hours ago. Kallie spared a glance at the clock and it read 4:30am. Kallie groaned and rubbed her temples. Everyone else had gone to bed two hours ago. Leo tried to stay downstairs to ensure Kaliyah went to bed but she had promised only five more minutes of research and she'd be off to bed. She hadn't meant to stay up so late, but she had to figure this out. The others didn't know her dad the way she did, so they couldn't help too much. Kallie grabbed her pen and pad once more and scribbled some more notes when she heard movement coming from Donnie's lab. She turned and saw a small amount of light shining through.

Kallie sighed.

Donatello was forced to go to bed with everyone else. Out of the six of them, he had been running himself ragged the most. Leonardo had threatened to get April and Master Splinter involved and the purple banded turtle finally caved in and followed his brother's upstairs. Kaliyah had been downstairs the entire time and hadn't noticed him come down at all!

Oh yeah.

Ninjas.

Kallie got up and stretched a bit, her muscles protesting the motion. She slowly and silently made her way towards the lab and peeked in. Don's shoulders were hunched up as he stared at the many screens before him.

"Couldn't sleep?" Kaliyah asked as she slipped into the room.

Don didn't even move. She had to hand it to him; even dead tired he was fully aware of his surroundings.

"Gotta keep an eye on things." He murmured, sounding exhausted.

"Pretty sure the building is safe at 4:35 in the morning." She told him.

"S'not just Macy's. I set up cameras around your mother's house as well as your old apartment complex." He pointed to a screen in the upper right hand corner. "That's The Duplex, and the one right next to it is NYU."

"Don…you need to relax." Kallie said slowly, shocked at the amount of camera's he had hijacked into.

"M'fine."

"Leo's gonna kill you if he finds out your still awake." Kallie stated.

Don cast her a sideways glance. "And you think you'll get off scott-free?"

Kallie realized her threat backfired and tried to cover it quickly. "I'm not the one who snuck down here after already being told to go to bed."

"I'm not the one who promised to go to bed hours ago and didn't." He shot back.

Kallie narrowed her eyes at him. She was about to shout at him, but he looked so dang tired. He brought a hand up to rub his eyes and Kallie thought she would die from cuteness overload. He dug the heel of his hands into his eyes and looked all of four years old at the moment. Kallie laughed softly to herself.

"Alright Donnie, time for all sleepy turtles to go to bed."

Don snorted. "What about sleepy humans?"

Kallie laughed again. "Tell ya what; I'll go to bed if you go to bed."

Don looked up at her and seemed to consider the proposal, but shook his head with a wry smile. "We wouldn't get much sleep anyways, morning practice is at 6."

"Not for you two." A voice said from the door.

Don and Kallie whipped their heads towards the door and both winced. There was Leonardo in his trademark 'leader' pose; arms folded across his chest, leaning against the doorframe and that 'you are so busted' look on his face.

"Uh-oh." Don muttered.

Leo narrowed his eyes. "Uh-oh is right. What are you two still doing up? You were supposed to be in bed hours ago!"

"No one was watching the monitors and I—"

Leo put his hand up, silencing the younger turtle. "The monitors aren't going anywhere. You however, are."

"If I may interject…" Kallie tried, but stopped after a look from the blue banded turtle.

"Bed. Now." Leo demanded, pointing towards the door.

"Leo I just need a few more—"

"Now Donatello."

Don winced at the use of his first name before rolling his eyes, sighing dramatically, and walking out of the lab.

"Night Kallie."

"G'night Donnie." She called back. Leo watched his little brother make his way to his bedroom and kept his eyes on him until he heard the door shut. Once he was sure Donnie was in bed he turned a sharp gaze at Kallie. Kallie gulped, and tried for a charming smile.

"Don't give me that." Leo told her, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice. She really reminded him of Mikey at times.

"Give you what?" She asked innocently.

"That innocent act you're trying to pull. I've had way too much practice at ignoring it, so you might as well save it." Leo told her. "What are you still doing up? I thought you only needed 5 more minutes?"

"I did! And I was going to go to bed too but then I started remembering things and I had to write them down or I may have forgotten after I went to sleep." Kallie explained. "You guys don't know my dad like I do. The harder I work at this, the faster we'll be able to solve this combination thing."

Leo sighed and brought a hand to his head. "You'll run yourself into the ground if you keep this up. You need sleep just like the rest of us."

"But—"

"No buts. Go to bed. I'll wake you up before we start the afternoon practice."

"Leo, you can't just boss me ar—"

"I won't tell you again Kaliyah." Leo said, emphasizing her first name. Her temper flared for a moment but then she saw a sparkle in Leo's eyes. He was treating her just like he treated his brothers.

His family.

The realization hit her and she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. Leonardo was trying really hard not to smile, but the sides of his lips quirked up slightly as he pointed out the door just like he had done with Don.

"You know, you're lucky I'm tired. I have a whole plethora of witty remarks of where you can stick that bossy attitude of yours." She said.

Leo couldn't help but bark a laugh out at that. "Well I guess I'm lucky you're sleepy then huh?"

Kallie smirked. "You bet your ass you are."

Leo rolled his eyes and the two of them made their way back up the stairs. He walked her to her room and she turned to him and gave him one last smile.

"Night Leonardo." She told him, emphasizing his full name like he had done to her earlier.

Leo chuckled. "Good night Kaliyah."

OoOoOoO

Leonardo was true to his word and allowed Donatello and Kaliyah to sleep in. Mike was still out of commission and so it was just him and Raph for morning practice. Raphael had helped their youngest brother downstairs and sat him down in a chair to watch. Michelangelo wasn't exactly thrilled to just be watching his two older brothers duke it out while he was stuck in a chair.

"This sucks." He complained.

"Suck it up." Raph threw at him.

"You suck it up." Mike muttered petulantly.

Raph smirked. "That the best ya got?"

"I'm bored!"

"You'll be fine Mikey." Leo replied patiently.

"Can I please do something?" Mike begged.

"And risk injuring yourself further? I think not." Answered Leo.

"Dude, it's just a scratch." Mike insisted.

"You were howling and complaining about not being able to do your chores for a week just yesterday." Leo stated, amused.

"Last I checked I was the one who did the dishes last night." Raphael added.

Mikey rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh…well you see…um…"

Leo chuckled at that point. "You can stand another few days resting that leg of yours."

"Leo, dude, I can't stand just sit here alright? I need to do something. Please let me go on patrol with you tonight." Michelangelo begged.

"Absolutely not."

"Yer gonna make him do it Fearless." Raph commented.

"He knows better."

"Leo pleeeeeeeeeeease!"

"No Mikey, you need to rest."

"Here it comes." Raph muttered.

"Oh Mikey…no!" Leo groaned as Mike pulled out the 'eyes.'

Leo was always a sucker for the puppy dog eyes and Mikey had them down to an art form. Of course being blessed with baby blue eyes didn't help either.

"Told ya." Raph smirked.

"Please Leo?"

_How did he manage to make his eyes look brighter? _

"No Mikey, you need to rest."

_Seriously? Now his eyes are watering slightly. _

"Mikey, I mean it." Leo tried for a firm voice, but he could hear the waver in it, feel his resolve starting to crack. Leo was never one to be able to resist the eyes for too long.

"Michelangelo, I said no." Normally the first name thing worked, but Mikey whimpered. _Actually_ whimpered.

"Oh for the love of—FINE, you can come on patrol with me tonight."

Mikey's puppy dog eyes left immediately as he whooped for joy and tried to stand. He did okay until he put more weight on his bad leg. He stumbled a bit and Raphael was at his side immediately.

"Alright shell for brains, calm down. Yer gonna hurt yaself before ya even leave for patrol." Raph said, sitting his little brother back in the chair.

"Thanks Leo. You're the best big brother ever." Mikey grinned.

"Hey!" Raphael yelled, outraged. "Ya got two other brothers' ya know? Ya ain't supposed to have favorites!"

Mikey simply stuck his tongue out at his hot tempered brother.

"No hitting the injured!" He yelled as Raphael raised a fist towards him.

"C'mon Raph, let's start with a few Kata's and then a sparring session or two." Leo waved him over. "Casey's shift is almost over and then I'll go with Mikey next, you and Don can take the night shift."

"Speaking of, where's Genius-Boy and Blondie at?" Raph asked.

"Sleeping." Leo answered.

"How come they get to sleep in?" Raphael demanded.

"I found them still awake at 4:45 this morning." Leo answered, irritation lacing his voice.

"But Donnie went to bed with us?" Mikey stated, confused.

"And I thought Kallie went to bed after us?" Raph added.

"That's what I thought too, but I heard a door open and sure enough both of them were still awake."

"Dude, that's the third time this week Donnie's been up too late." Mikey stated.

"I know, I sent him straight to bed and Kallie was next."

Raph barked a laugh. "Man I wish I coulda seen the look on her face when ya started in on her."

Leo rolled his eyes, but couldn't stop the small smile that spread across his face. "She wasn't too pleased at first."

"Ya mean she actually listened to ya?" Raph asked in disbelief.

"Not everyone disobeys my orders." Leo responded teasingly.

Raph smirked. "Yeah well, someone's gotta keep ya on yer toes." And with that he attacked.

The two brothers sparred, ignoring the Kata's they had previously stated they were going to do. It was a short session, only three rounds before they stopped. Master Splinter wouldn't have liked them having such a short session, but Leo was slowly gaining more and more control of the team as Splinter slowly backed off; leaving decision making to Leonardo. And with two of their brothers out of commission and Kallie not here to train either, a short session seemed in order. It was nearing lunch and the two insomniacs were still sleeping. Leo had promised to wake them before lunch and he made his way upstairs. He cracked Donatello's door open slightly and peaked in.

Leo couldn't help but smile fondly at the sleeping figure. Donnie was curled up in a small ball, completely under his blankets, only his right foot sticking out.

"Don?" Leo ventured quietly, but the genius turtle didn't stir.

"C'mon Donnie, time to get up."

Again nothing.

Leo chuckled and ran a finger down Don's foot. Don twitched and grunted but otherwise stayed asleep. Leo smirked and scrabbled his fingers softly against his little brother's foot. This time Leonardo was rewarded with a gasp and a giggle as Don turned and looked blearily at his oldest brother.

"Leo?"

"Time to get up Donnie."

Don groaned. "There are other ways to wake me up." He rubbed his foot against the mattress, trying to rid himself of the tingle left from Leo's attack.

Leo couldn't help but laugh. "Couldn't resist."

"What time is it?" Donnie asked.

"Five till noon. Mikey and I are gonna take the afternoon shift and you and Raph are taking the night shift."

Don sat up. "Mikey? Why are you taking Mikey, he's injured?"

Leonardo rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and Don smirked. "You fell for the eyes again didn't you?"

Leo groaned. "How does he do it?"

Donnie chuckled. "He gets you every time."

"It's the blue eyes, I'm telling you."

"That definitely doesn't help our cases." Don replied. "Kallie up yet?"

"She's next."

Donatello nodded. "Okay. I'm gonna hit the shower first."

Don made his way to the bathroom while Leonardo went to Kallie's room. He knocked softly but there was no reply. He tried again but to no avail. Slowly, he cracked the door open and stepped inside. Kallie was sprawled on her bed, one foot dangling off as well as one of her arms. Leo suppressed the laughter that wanted to come out. In all honestly it didn't look like a very comfortable sleeping position, but she reminded him so much of Mikey at the moment. He too slept all sprawled out, a tangle of limbs and blankets.

"Kallie, it's time to wake up."

She groaned in answer and burrowed under the covers suddenly.

"Hey, you're the one that wanted to stay up so late. I let you sleep for like 6 hours, it's wake up time now."

"G'way." Was her muffled reply.

"I will once I know you're up." And with that Leo crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against her wall, content to stand there and wait. A few minutes passed and Kaliyah peeked from under her covers, only her cerulean eyes showing as she stared at Leo.

"You're still here?" She asked.

Leo smiled. "Yup."

She disappeared underneath the covers again with a groan and then threw them off dramatically a second later. "Fine, I'm up."

"Great." He responded. "Maybe next time you'll go to bed at a proper time."

"Maybe next time I'll just ninja chop your face." She retorted.

Leo laughed. "You can try."

"Hey, I've been training a lot lately," said Kaliyah, a finger pointed at Leo's chest. "I've got some major skills now."

"I'm sure you do." He replied, humoring her for the moment.

She sat up and pushed her wild hair out of her face. "Hey, I think I may know a few places to look for the combination by the way."

Leo looked surprised. "Really? Where?"

"Well, I have three possible places. My dad and I went to this gym and played basketball with one another after school almost every day. We had a locker there and it may still be there." She explained. Leo nodded as she continued. "The second place is of course my old high school locker, it's a long shot but we might as well try. And the last place is Fort Drum."

"Fort Drum?"

Kaliyah nodded. "Right before he deployed is when we moved here. My mom got that job with Macy's and his unit agreed to send him to Fort Drum for a few years since they had an opening. We had only been here for a month by the time he left. He was only needed on the weekends since they were deploying so we stayed in the city and he drove to and from Fort Drum on the weekends. I know he had a locker there where he kept his things. I told my mom I wanted to get his stuff out from it but she never drove me there and by the time I could drive myself I couldn't afford a car and my mom sure as hell wasn't going to buy one for me. When I finally did get a car I was in school and never really had the time to get the stuff."

Leo nodded. "Each one is definitely worth a shot. How far away is Fort Drum?"

"5 hours and 21 minutes." A voice said from the door. It was Donnie.

"How do you know that?" Kallie asked.

"Well it's 317 miles away, divide that by the various speed limits and—"

"I don't need a math lesson." Kaliyah interrupted.

Don grinned. "You asked."

Kallie rolled her eyes. "Okay smarty pants. Are we doing this then?"

Leo considered it for a moment, before slowly nodding. "Yes we are. But we have to wait until Mikey's more mobile. We'll need him."

"How many more days then Donnie?" Kaliyah asked.

"Another three to five days and he should be good as new," said Don. "However, you may wanna keep him off the patrol tonight then. The more rest he gets the better."

Leonardo groaned. "Ugh, that's not gonna be a fun conversation."

"Why not? He'll understand." Kallie responded.

"He gave me the eyes." Leo answered.

"The eyes?" Kallie asked.

"Leo's a sucker for Mikey's puppy dog eyes. He'll get them tenfold if he tries to back out on his earlier promise." Don said with a slight smirk.

Kallie got out from her bed and quickly ran her fingers through her curly hair, squared her shoulders and looked up at the boys.

"What are you going to do?" Don asked skeptically.

"If you think he's got the puppy dog eye look down, you ain't seen nothing yet." Kallie said firmly.

Leo and Don didn't look convinced.

"I once convinced my music professor to give me a two week extension on a mid-term project because I had actually forgotten about it until the day it was due."

Don squinted at her before nodding approvingly. "She does have extremely blue eyes. That's gonna be a positive on her side."

"He's got blue eyes too though." Leonardo countered.

"She's a girl, that's a big point for her."

"She's pretty too. That's another point in her favor." Leo added.

"Oh shut up." Kallie said, blushing furiously.

"You may be able to take him." Leo told her, trying to hide a smirk.

Twenty minutes later, Mikey admitted defeat. The others decided to start making plans to hit the gym and Kallie's old high school as soon as Mikey was healed. Fort Drum was the last place they would go to. And hopefully they would find some answers soon.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Alright, I know it's been a while and I'm soooooooooo sorry! *ducks from readers throwing rocks* But I'm giving you something GREAT this chapter! It's actually TWO, that's right TWO, chapters in one! Please accept this humble present as apologies for waiting so long. I meant to post the one chapter a while ago but my carpal tunnel is KILLING me, so I haven't been writing. I'm seriously considering going to the doctors and demanding a cure that **_**isn't**_** surgery. My apologies once more guys. I really didn't expect it to hurt this much, but I hope you LOVE these chapters! =]]**

**A/N 2: 1000 points to whoever can guess what quote from what TV show I put in here! =]]**

**Disclaimer: Insert witty disclaimer about not owning the turtles here. **

Chapter16: Dead Ends and Messages.

"I don't think all of you will fit in that one." Kallie was telling Raphael and Michelangelo as they were drooling over the sports cars on Don's laptop. Kaliyah had told them that she would rent the car they would take to Fort Drum. Leo wasn't happy about her spending money on them but she was having absolutely none of it. Of course he covered it up by saying that he was merely concerned about renting one now because the combination could be for the locker at the gym or the high school. Kallie wasn't convinced though. She had a strong feeling that it was in Fort Drum, but Leo didn't want to make the long trek there without exhausting all other possibilities first.

"We can stick Mikey in the trunk." Raph offered.

"Hey!"

Kallie snickered before clicking on the vans portion of the car renting website they were on.

"Aw, a van? Why do we always get the creepy white van?" Mike complained.

"Because we have to find a way to be inconspicuous but also have the four of you fit easily and comfortably inside." Kallie explained. "And I hate to break it to you, but y'all stick out like a sore thumb. A regular five passenger car just isn't going to work."

"Do they at least have any fully loaded type vans?" Mike asked.

"They have a Honda Odyssey that has a T.V. in it."

"Perfect!" Mikey cried enthusiastically.

"That's just what we need," said Raph. "Listenin' to Mikey's lame ass cartoons fer five hours."

"Hey! They are _not_ lame!"

"Well I'm the one that's gonna be driving so I'm the one that's going to be picking what we watch or listen to." Kallie informed them.

"Who says yer driving?" Raphael demanded.

"Because I'm the one paying for the car doofus," said Kallie. "Plus, I'm pretty sure people on the road will notice a giant turtle driving."

Raphael just rolled his eyes. Mikey continued to chatter on about which car they should get when Kallie had finally had enough and kicked the two turtles out of her room so she could pick a car. April had offered them her van but Kaliyah didn't want to risk something bad happening to it while it was in her possession. April and Casey had both offered to come as well, but Leo said they needed to stay here and help Splinter keep an eye out for Kallie's mom. Kallie decided on the Honda Odyssey and she quickly paid via the internet and scheduled for the pick up to be later that day. It was currently 8 in the morning and morning practice had ended an hour ago. Leo wanted everyone else to meditate but none of the other three turtles took their older brother's advice. Donnie was in his lab doing who knows what and had a sign on his door forbidding anyone to enter. Kaliyah was slightly terrified at what it was he was doing in there. Mikey and Raph had decided to bug her before she kicked them out and she could hear soft music playing from Leonardo's room so she knew he was meditating.

The plan was to leave sometime around noon and see if the combination was at the gym. That would be the easiest one to go to since Kallie hadn't cancelled the membership. She was to go straight in, try the combination possibilities and then get out of there. Donnie was going to hook her up with a camera and microphone so she can keep in touch with the guys the whole time from the van. The high school was next, but they were going at night. There was no way her old high school was going to let her in and see her old locker, let alone break into it. The guys had told her that they could easily get her in and out without being noticed. Kallie assumed that Donatello would be hacking into the security cameras at the school. She had just saved all the information for the car when she heard a knock on her door.

"Yo!" She called, signaling for her visitor to come in.

It was Master Splinter.

"Good morning Kaliyah." He greeted.

"Oh, hi Master Splinter." She greeted back, getting to her feet.

"Did you sleep well?"

Kallie shifted nervously. She always felt that every time the old rat looked at her he could read her mind. "Um…yeah."

"No nightmares?"

"No, I didn't h—"

"Are you sure?" He asked knowingly.

Kallie sighed. "How do you do that?"

Master Splinter chuckled. "You forget that I have raised four boys. I know the look of a restless night."

"It was him again; reaching out through the fire…"

"We are getting closer to the answers you have sought for so long now," said Master Splinter. "I assume that your nightmares will soon be making more frequent occurrences."

"Fantastic." Kallie muttered. "I don't suppose you know any anti-nightmare type of meditation do you?"

"The mind is a powerful thing. It can make us live our happiest moments over and over with just one memory, but," Master Splinter grabbed her shoulders, looking intently into her eyes. "It can also make us relive our most terrible moments over and over."

"Soooo…that's a no?"

The old rat chuckled. "The mind may be powerful Kaliyah, but who is it that controls it?"

"Alien overlords?"

"You are worse than Michelangelo at times." Master Splinter said with a sigh, but the corners of his mouth were quirked up. "_You_ control your mind Kaliyah; you and only you."

"So I can stop them?"

"Stop them? Probably not." Kallie frowned at that. "But fight them? Yes."

"Fight them?"

"You have the weapons you already need; you just need to use them." He told her, starting to walk out of the room.

"And what weapons would those be?" She asked.

The ninja stopped at the door and turned to look at her, smiling. "You already know." And with that he walked out of the room.

Kaliyah groaned. "Ugh…I hate it when he does that."

"YO KALLIE!" A rough voice called from downstairs.

Kallie sighed, wondering what it was that Raphael could want. "WHAT?!" She yelled back, because of course there was no way she was going to take the mature route and go downstairs.

"COME DOWN HERE!"

"YOU COME UP HERE!" She countered.

"NO, GET YER ASS DOWN HERE!"

"NO, GET YOUR ASS UP HERE!"

"DON'T MAKE ME COME GET YOU!"

"I'M NOT SCARED OF YOU!"

"OH FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, WOULD YOU TWO STOP YELLING!" Donatello's voice added to the mix.

"SORRY DONNIE!" Came twin replies. Kallie couldn't help but snicker at that. She had turned around for a just a second to grab a pair of socks when she heard her door close.

"Hey." Leonardo greeted.

Kallie couldn't help but jump. "Jeez Louise! Y'all have _got_ to stop sneaking up on me like this!"

Leo couldn't help but smirk. "Ninja." He reminded her.

"Yeah well, do it again and I'm putting little bells on all of y'alls ankles." She warned.

Leo laughed. "Oh Master Splinter would love that."

"He'd get some too." She smiled.

"You ready?" He asked after a shake of his head.

"For what?"

"Training of course."

"But y'all just got done with morning practice?" Kallie told him, confused.

Leonardo shrugged. "These next couple of days could be pretty dangerous, thought an extra practice or two might help."

"Alright, but let me warn you," said Kallie with a smirk. "I've been training extra with Raph and I may just be able to kick your ass now."

Leo barked out a laugh at that. "We'll see about that Half Pint." He ushered her out of the room.

"Hey! What've I told y'all about nicknames?"

"That they're your favorite?" Leo snarked.

"Alright, keep it up turtle boy," said Kallie as they entered the dojo and joined the others. "You'll regret it later."

Leonardo slowly got out his Katana's and spun them expertly in the air. "How bout trying to make me regret it now?"

Raph threw Kaliyah an actual Katana as well, which she caught easily and did her own twirl. The last three training sessions she had upgraded to actual weapons. She had practiced with each one of the boys' weapons, but found herself wielding a Katana pretty naturally.

"C'mon Kallie, you can beat him!" Mikey cheered from the side. His leg was pretty much healed now; Don had been right about him needing a day or two of complete rest.

"Careful now Fearless. Ya don't wanna hurt too much, she's gotta drive." Raph added.

She scoffed. "Please, he's harmLESS!" Kallie ducked just as Leo swiped his weapon above her head, the other three boys cheering from the side.

Leonardo kept up the offensive throughout a lot of the session. Normally he would let her get a few good swings in, but Kallie had a feeling that he was trying to prepare her to defend herself just in case anything happened these next few days. She was irritated and grateful at the same time. Her pride was screaming for him to just trust in her but the lonely and love starved girl in her was weeping for joy at the over protectiveness. Kallie sparred with Leo for another twenty minutes before she switched to Donnie.

Donatello was always very gentle with her; rarely using his Bo and never going on the offensive, but always allowing Kaliyah to fight as fiercely as she could. Of course he took it all so very easily that she normally exhausted herself in the process. Kallie had always assumed that Don wasn't as athletically inclined as his other brothers. She felt ashamed and even apologized to him the first time she had sparred with the genius turtle. Donatello had taken it all in good stride and told her that he didn't mind. Kallie practiced harder and harder each time she faced Don, hoping to make up for it. And Donnie was always so very patient and Kallie was grateful for that.

Mikey was next and he was so much more fun to spar with. It was more like a dance, with Mikey lithely dodging every strike and grabbing Kallie around the waist to spin her in the opposite direction or catching her wrist and flipping her over his shoulder, catching her right before she hit the mat. And of course he teased her mercilessly the entire time. It was okay though because Kaliyah could dish it out just as easily as Mike could. She was always laughing during and after each session with Michelangelo.

Raphael was last and she was exhausted by the time it was his turn, but Kallie's pride refused to allow her to quit. Raph took it easy on her like the others did, but he was quite as gentle as the others and for that Kallie was grateful. Whoever it was that was after her wasn't going to take it easy on her and she needed to be prepared for that, and Raphael was the only one who seemed to really realize that. So Raph threw himself into the fray and Kallie was on the defensive for most of it, but she got in a few good hits. One of them even made Raph grunt a bit in pain. Kaliyah was very proud of that and Mikey snickered throughout the rest of the session. Raph of course retaliated by tossing her easily over her shoulder, allowing her to slam into the mat. It didn't hurt but it was the principal of the thing so Kaliyah grabbed his ankle and pulled with all her might, bringing Raph crashing to the ground right next to her.

"Ha." Kallie grinned.

Raph rolled his eyes but his lips were quirked up slightly as he flipped to his feet. "Lucky shot."

Mike was cackling and even Don was laughing. Raph shot them both a look which sobered Donatello up, but made Mikey laugh harder.

"Can I?" Raph asked Leo.

Leo couldn't help but smile as he shook his head yes. Raph grinned and tackled Mikey to the ground. The youngest turtle released a rather girlish shriek as the two brothers began to wrestle. Kallie walked over to Leo and grabbed the offered water bottle from him.

"I'm exhausted." She told him, sliding to the floor and leaning against the wall.

"You did really well today." He told her.

"I think I'm starting to get the hang of it." She responded.

"Master Splinter's pretty proud." Leo commented. Kallie looked up and saw the old rat smiling at her. She returned the gesture and he slipped back into the shadows and was gone without a noise.

Kallie pointed at the spot he'd just been. "Now _that_ is what I wanna learn next."

"It takes years of practice." Leo told her.

"I don't care," said Kallie. "Can you imagine how great I'd be at hide and seek if I could do that?"

Leonardo couldn't help but laugh. "You wanna learn that for hide and seek?"

Kallie laughed back. "Are you telling me that you guys don't use that to your advantage when y'all play hide and seek?"

"What makes you think we play hide and seek?"

Kallie sent him a 'really?' type of look.

Leo put his hands up in surrender. "Alright, we've played hide and seek, but it's been ages!"

Donnie scoffed. "It's been like three weeks Leo."

"Aha!" Kallie grinned. "I knew it."

"Don't let Leo fool you," said Donatello. "He's a master at that game."

"Are we gonna sit here and talk about childish games all day or are we gonna head to the gym now?" Leo asked, his face slightly flushed and Kallie thought it was the greatest thing in the world to see Leo blushing.

"No need to turn red Captain Rule Follower," said Kaliyah with a smirk. "To the gym we go."

"How come you get to use nicknames?" Leo asked.

"I'm cooler than all of you." Was Kallie's reply.

Mikey and Raph had stopped and were now standing with the rest of the group and both of them snorted at Kallie's words.

"Whatever helps ya sleep at night Blondie." Raph told her with a smirk.

"You know, just for that you gotta sit in the back with Mikey." Kallie retorted.

"No way in hell is that gonna happen!" He informed her.

"Why do I gotta sit in the back?" Mikey asked as the group made their way to the living room.

"Cuz I said so." Kallie told him.

Mikey was about to respond with Master Splinter came into the room.

"My sons please be careful." He told the four turtles. "This is unknown territory and I fear that there is much more to this than what we are currently aware of."

"Hai Sensei." They replied.

"And Kaliyah," he turned to look her in the eyes. "Listen very carefully to every instruction that you receive from my sons."

"Of course." She promised.

He gave her a stern look. "I mean _every_ instruction. If you are told to run, then you are to run. If you are told to stay back, then you are to stay back."

"Alright, I will." She responded, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. She already knew all of this, had been told all of this before by Leonardo. Well, now she knew where he got it from.

"Do not attempt to throw yourself into battle if it is unnecessary. You have come far, but you are still a novice. Do I make myself clear?" He asked, just as stern as before but this time his eyes held something she had never seen before. Fear.

"Hai Sensei." Kallie replied, bowing her head. Splinter's expression softened at that and he nodded at her.

He turned back to his sons and started speaking to them in a different language. Kallie wasn't good at knowing other languages but she had a feeling it was Japanese. And the fact that he was speaking in Japanese informed her that whatever it was he was saying it was about her and he didn't want her to know. Leonardo responded in the same language, then it was Splinter's turn to say a few more things before all four of his sons responded, "Hai Sensei."

"Good luck." Splinter said in English.

"We'll call you if we have to go to Fort Drum." Leo told his father.

"Drive safely." He told them.

Kallie waved goodbye and turned to follow the others out of the lair. _Well,_ she thought to herself, _here goes nothing!_

OoOoOoO

Kaliyah had no problems picking up the van and it only took Donatello a few minutes to hook up everything he needed to on the inside. The gym was only a few minutes away from the rental place so they immediately made their way there first. Mikey was in the seat directly behind the driver and Donnie and Leo were all the way in the back. Mike had strict instructions not to go back there unless otherwise instructed to. Apparently he tended to touch things he wasn't supposed to. Raph was next to Mikey, but was insisting to take the front seat if they had to drive to Fort Drum. They would be traveling at night so it would be easier to be concealed was his reasoning and Leonardo didn't have a problem with it, so Kallie didn't argue.

"Alright, go in check the combination and then come right back." Leo instructed her.

Kallie nodded while Donnie finished pinning the small hidden camera on her hoodie. He then gave her an ear piece. "Just speak normally and we'll be able to hear you. The camera is a lot wider than it looks so don't worry, we'll be able to see everything you're seeing." He told her.

"Thanks Brainiac. And you really think it's the 86 44 08?" She asked.

"Positive." He answered. "Your Dad put them in that order in his letters for a reason. Of course, try it 08 44 86 too just in case, but try and follow his orders exactly."

"If you need any help just say the code word." Leo said.

Kallie couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I know."

"And what is the code word?" He asked.

Kaliyah sighed heavily. "Firecracker. And may I add that this is the _lamest_ code word in the history of history!"

"It is not!" Leo argued.

"I agree with Blondie." Raph commented.

"I second that." Mikey added.

Kaliyah grinned at the leader turtle before throwing him a mock salute. "See you in a few!"

"Be careful!" Leo called out as she got out of the van.

"She's gonna be fine Leo." Michelangelo told his big brother.

Leo looked down at Mike and smiled. "I know Mikey, I just worry sometimes."

Mikey snorted. "That's the understatement of the century."

The brothers laughed before falling into silence as Kaliyah entered the gym.

OoOoOoO

Getting back to her and her dad's old locker was too easy in Kaliyah's opinion. The manager greeted her warmly and even hugged her before offering his condolences once more. He had come to the funeral and it was nice to see a familiar face. Kallie was constantly looking over her shoulder to ensure that she wasn't being followed or anything. She finally made it back to the locker room and she felt her arms shaking.

"It's okay Kallie, we're right here." Donnie's calm voice came over the little ear piece.

Kallie nodded and took a deep breath before saying, "Here goes nothing guys."

Kallie slowly entered the combination in, her hands sweating and her arms shaking, the weight of what was happening almost overwhelming her.

But nothing happened.

The combination didn't work, so Kallie tried the combination in reverse, and then switched the numbers in a different order. But nothing worked.

"I don't think this is it guys." Kallie whispered.

"Neither do we. Well, I guess just come back. We'll go to the lair and wait until midnight then check the school next." Don replied.

"I wanna try one last thing." She told him.

She entered in her birthday and it worked. The lock came undone and Kallie quickly threw open the door. Inside was an old pair of tennis shoes of hers and then her dad's old army hoodie. Kallie slowly took the items out, throwing the shoes away but clutching the hoodie like a life line.

It still smelled like him.

Kallie's throat felt thick all of a sudden and she was trying to keep the tears at bay as she sped out of the gym and back into the van. Slamming the door shut, Kallie pushed her back against the driver's side seat. Four pairs of eyes were staring intently at her, worry filling each expression. It was then that Kaliyah noticed she was breathing harshly, panting almost.

"M'fine." She got out.

"Is that your dads?" Mikey asked.

Kallie nodded.

"Looks kinda ragged," said Mike. And before anyone could cry out in rage, he continued. "You must've kicked his ass every time you two played basketball."

Kallie looked at him, feeling the corners of her mouth lifting. Leave it to Mikey to know exactly how to turn a rather heart breaking moment into a moment of happiness and laughter.

"Damn right I did," Kaliyah responded. "The old man could never keep up with me."

"Dude, we are so going to have to play a little one on one when this is over." Michelangelo replied.

Kallie full on grinned at him then. "You are so on."

Mike returned the grin and Kallie started the van, driving back to the lair, a comfortable silence stretching between the five of them.

Once they were back at the lair, Leonardo explained to Master Splinter that gym was a bust and that if the high school proved to hold nothing that they were going to go straight to Fort Drum. Kallie played video games with Mikey until it was time to go. The four turtles and the young human all piled into the van once more, heading for her old high school.

"So road trip if this place sucks as much as the last?" Mikey asked.

"Seems like it." Donnie replied.

"Awesome!" Mikey punched the air. Leo smiled and Raphael rolled his eyes.

"I call shot gun." Raph replied.

"What makes you think it'll be safe to sit up front?" Leo asked.

"Cuz it'll be dark by then, no one's gonna be on the road this late at night." Raph answered.

"He's got a point." Don added.

"Why can't I sit up front?" Mike demanded.

"I called it first shell for brains."

"No fighting in the van!" Kallie called, eyeing the two turtles in the back. She just knew they'd start a wrestling match given the chance.

The drive to the high school was relatively quick, only taking 15 minutes. Kallie was getting nervous as she parked the van and followed the four boys out of the car.

"So what next?" Kallie asked.

Mikey smirked at her before whipping his hand out, grabbing her wrist and flinging her onto his back. "You hold on tight and enjoy the ride."

And with that they were off; soaring through the air, twisting around ladders, jumping off of the sides of the building, running across the rooftop before finally arriving at their destination. Mikey flipped Kallie over his shoulder and caught her bridal style before winking and setting her back on the ground.

"I don't think I'm going to ever get used to that." Kallie told him, feeling winded even though she didn't do anything.

Michelangelo laughed. "You'll survive."

"Alright, Donnie you're in charge of security so what's the plan?" Leo asked.

"I've got a scrambler; you'll have exactly two minutes to get in once I've turned it on. It'll be too dangerous to leave it on the entire time you're in there so you'll need to stick to the shadows. I have a map that highlights the areas that are safe for travel. Every two minutes I'll turn the scrambler back on, giving you time to dash across the halls and then get the combination in. I'll send a text to Leo each time I turn the scrambler on so you will know when it's safe."

Leo nodded. "Great. Do you need someone to cover you?"

"No, I'm good."

Leo looked mildly dubious. Donnie sighed. "I'm fine Leo, I promise."

Leo relented and turned to Kallie and the other two turtles. "We'll go in through the skylight in the cafeteria. Kallie's old locker is only two hallway's down from there. We'll follow Donnie's instructions to the T, understood?" Nods were given from the others. "Once we're there we'll wait for the next scrambler round and Kallie will put in the combination as quickly as possible. Once we're done we'll come back through the skylight. Donnie, alert us if anything goes on up here alright?"

"Can do." Donatello replied.

"Let's go."

Raphael pried the skylight window open, surprisingly without breaking anything, and before Kaliyah could ask how they were getting down there he grabbed her and jumped through the now open window. She didn't even have time to scream as they landed lightly and silently on top of a cafeteria table, Leo and Mike not far behind.

"Warn a girl next time." Kallie hissed at the red banded turtle.

"Suck it up Blondie." Raph replied with a smirk.

"Can it you two." Leo said before Kaliyah could interrupt. "We need to get moving." Leo's phone went off and they knew the scrambler was now on, Leo signaled for them to follow him and they were off.

Kallie was having a hard time deciphering Leo's hand signals. Of course, Mikey and Raph knew exactly what he was wanting them all to do, but Kaliyah was lost. Numerous times one of the three brothers had to grab her arm and pull her back into the shadows. Raphael was getting frustrated, which was frustrating Kallie and making her lose her temper, snapping back at Raph anytime he snapped at her. Leo was getting impatient and Mikey was trying to play peacemaker.

"That's it." Raphael snarled before grabbing Kallie and tossing her on his back.

"I can walk!" She insisted.

"Yer slowin' us down." He hissed back at her.

"Your face is slowing us down!" She retorted. Mikey snorted and Leo rolled his eyes. Raph didn't even dignify that with an answer. She didn't really blame him.

"We're here." Leo announced suddenly.

Raphael set the human down and the four of them waited for Donnie's text. Luckily they didn't have to wait long.

"You have two minutes Kallie, go." Leo urged her.

Kallie ran up to the locker and tried the combination, her hands shaking just like with the gym. And to her surprise, it clicked open. She turned to the three turtles, her cerulean eyes wide with fear and anticipation. She quickly threw the locker door open and reached inside, only to pull out a single piece of paper. She unfolded it as fast as she could and read:

_FD_

The two letters repeated themselves over and over again, covering the entire sheet of paper. That wasn't the worst part though…it was all in her dad's hand writing. She recognized it immediately and felt the air knocked right out of her. Leo and the others made their way towards her and Raphael grabbed the paper from her hands, showing it to his brothers.

"What does this mean?" Raphael asked.

Leo's timer went off and soon Kallie found herself once again, swung onto the shell of Raph as they bounded for their exit. They didn't stop this time for anything and Raph launched himself and Kallie up through the skylight and back onto the rooftop.

"Road trip?" Donatello asked.

Leo handed him the paper with 'FD' written all over it. "Road trip." He confirmed.

"FD…Fort Drum?" Raph asked.

"Looks like it." said Leo.

"The combination worked then I'm guessing." Donatello commented.

"Yeah." Kallie murmured.

"Well whatever it is the Foot and the Purple Dragons want is obviously at Fort Drum," said Mike. "The question is what exactly is it that they're wanting?"

"We're not even sure it's the Foot though Mikey," said Leo. "Or the Purple Dragons for the matter."

"Ya think it could be someone else Fearless?" Raphael asked.

"I think they're involved, but I don't think they're orchestrating this." Leo answered.

"What makes you think that?" Kallie asked softly, still reeling. She had always known that whatever it was they were looking for was at Fort Drum, but seeing the paper with her father's hand writing had sent her reeling. The writing was scrawled and messy, just like his normal hand writing but…but there was something desperate about the way he had written this. The other side of the paper was raised where he had obviously pushed too hard with the pen. It seemed as if he was scared as he had written this down. And Kaliyah's dad was the most fearless person she had ever met.

Thinking of her dad being scared absolutely terrified Kaliyah.

"This is too well organized for the Purple Dragons and not straightforward enough for the Foot," Leo answered. "The Foot wouldn't beat around the bush like this. That means someone is asking them to stay back."

"Leo's right," Donnie added. "And the Purple Dragons probably just saw you as an attractive female they wanted to do harm to and that's why they were pursuing you."

Mikey nodded. "Donnie's right. You're hot and that's why they were chasing you. I don't think they have anything to do with this combination thing."

"So then someone's hirin' the Foot and gettin' them to do their dirty work." Raph supplied.

Leo nodded.

"Don't know which is scarier, the fact that the Foot are involved or that someone even more devious and calculating than the Foot are pulling the strings." Mikey commented, barely suppressing a shiver.

It was then that Kaliyah remembered that Mikey didn't exactly have a good past with the Foot. Actually that was an understatement; he had been utterly tortured for a week by their little leader.

"She won't go near you Michelangelo." Leo told him, his voice dangerous and low.

Mikey looked up at his big brother and offered him a smile. Leo nodded at him before turning to Kallie. "You ready for another five and a half hours of driving?"

"Yeah." She replied hoarsely.

Leo grasped her shoulders before tipping her chin up to look at him. "We're gonna figure this out."

"I know."

"We'll be right there with you," said Leo. "You won't be alone, alright?"

Kallie nodded clumsily. Leo then held his arms out, offering to carry her for once and Kallie eagerly jumped right in, hugging his neck tightly as the group descended the roof and back to the parking lot. Kallie knew Leonardo was strong, but she couldn't help but be amazed at how firm his arms felt. They were sure, steady, and rock solid. She felt safe and cared for, protected even. It was a nice feeling and Kallie savored it.

They all piled in the van and true to his word, Raphael climbed up front and gave Kallie a slight cock of his head, silently asking her if she was okay. Kallie nodded and smiled at him before starting up the car and turning it to an Indie station on the radio. Raph looked at her incredulously and went to turn the station. Kallie slapped his hand away and he yelped, pulling his injured appendage to his chest and scowling at her.

"Driver picks the music; shot-gun shuts his cake hole." She told him.

Mikey cackled in the background and Kaliyah just smirked.

"Did ya come up with that all by yaself?"

"I'm witty, get over it." She retorted.

"I'm gonna regret sittin' up here ain't I?"

Kallie smiled widely at him. "You have no idea."

She turned it up louder, Raph groaning dramatically, and sped off towards Fort Drum…and towards the answers she so desperately needed.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Alright, this chapter got away from me! I wrote most of it in a notebook while I was work. Lol. It's rather long and I hope y'all don't mind! I also did a bit of shameless self-promoting in this chapter. The whole Karai thing in this story was something I have written. It's called A Night To Remember and if you wanna read it be my guest. =]] Enjoy my lovelies!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own nuttin'**

Chapter 17: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back.

The drive to Ft. Drum was rather interesting. Mikey had suckered them all into playing 20 questions for the first half hour. Of course it was pitch black outside so their options were limited. After the 7th time Mikey had chosen Kallie as his 20 question object she had ended the game. They moved on to name that movie quote but that too had to end since no one could guess all the obscure movies Michelangelo had chosen. They were 3 ½ hours into the trip when the energetic turtle had finally fallen asleep. Donnie was still in the back, studying his laptop intently. Raph was up front next to her, just looking out the window. Leo was behind them and he currently had a snoozing Mikey resting his head on the leader's shoulder. Leonardo was slowly running his fingers through Mikey's bandana tails, a small smile on his face. Kallie couldn't help but keep sneaking glances at the two brothers.

It was just too stinkin' sweet.

It was really nice to see such tenderness from Leo. He normally had his leader persona on all the time so it was great to see him just being a big brother.

"He's really good with him." Kallie commented softly.

Raph looked at her quizzically.

"Leo. He's really good with Mikey." She clarified. Raphael snuck a glance at his brothers before shrugging.

"He makes it easy."

"Who does?"

"Mikey."

"Oh yeah?" Asked Kallie, amused.

Raph smirked slightly. "Yeah, the little punk isn't as annoying when he's sleepin'."

Kaliyah couldn't help but laugh at that.

"He's also pretty great at times." Raph mumbled, almost so quietly that Kallie almost didn't hear him.

"You care about him a lot don't you?"

Raph rolled his eyes. "Let's not get girly and all touchy feely."

Kallie laughed but looked at him as if she was waiting for him to continue. Leonardo chuckled from behind and Raph shot his older brother a look which Leo merely smiled at before shaking his head, his fingers still idly playing with Mikey's bandana tails.

"We're all a little closer to him than we used to be," said Raphael. "Not that we weren't close before," he amended rather quickly. "We're just closer now because of the whole Karai thing."

"What exactly happened?" Kaliyah asked. Mike had told her the gist of it after that nightmare he had but Kallie wanted to know everything now, especially if there were a possibility of her being involved with this whole thing. Raphael shifted uncomfortably in his seat before glancing at Leo. The leader gave a quick nod of his head. Raph took a deep breath and then stared ahead.

"Mikey wanted to go to this stupid Halloween party in Central Park and we all went with him to make sure he didn't get into any trouble," Raph explained. "We got ambushed on our way home…and uh…they got Mikey and disappeared before we could do anything…"

Kallie could tell that this was really hard for Raph.

"We searched _everywhere_, but we couldn't find him. He was stuck with Karai for a friggin' week before we found him," Raphael continued. "A full 7 days of pure hell for him."

"What did she do to him?" Kaliyah finally asked. Leo cleared his throat and Kallie saw him wrap an arm around Mike's shoulders. Raphael was still staring straight ahead, a haunting look in his eyes. Kallie could tell she wouldn't like the rest of the story.

"She uh…she injected this…this toxin into him that um…that like…burned through his body. He called it the 'juice of doom.' It…well…it literally made him feel like he was on fire," said Raph. He was digging his fingers into the seat, Kallie could see his knuckles flexing so fiercely they were turning white. "When he wasn't being injected with that crap he was fried like a friggin' potato."

"What do you mean?"

"She hooked him up to some kinda shock machine, like at old mental hospitals." He told her.

"So…they electrocuted him?" Kaliyah asked in disbelief.

"Used 50,000 volts." A quiet voiced added. It was Donatello. "I could tell by the burn marks."

"And he survived that?!"

"The average human can withstand anywhere between 20,000 and 30,000," Don commented in a sad tone. "It doesn't surprise me we can withstand more."

"Thee ooze?" Kallie asked.

"It changed, strengthened, and enhanced everything about us. I'm still amazed at what we can do at times."

"She had him beaten to a bloody pulp sometimes too." Raph added. "One of those three things happened to him every day for a week. Multiple times a day at that."

Kallie was absolutely horrified. She knew that something bad had happened to him, but she no idea it was something of that magnitude.

"He still can't see a needle without practically having a seizure." Leonardo added softly.

"So the nightmares…" Kallie trailed off.

"95% of the time is about her." Don finished.

"Poor Mikey." Kallie replied, wanting desperately to hold on to the young turtle and never let go, to keep him safe from anyone ever hurting him again. The fierce protectiveness that Kaliyah felt shocked her. She hadn't felt this way about anyone in a very long time. She didn't even really feel that way towards Maggie, and Kallie considered her to be her closest friend.

"We're just a little more cautious when it comes to him now." Leo commented.

"I can see why." Kallie responded.

Mikey made a soft, sleepy kind of sound and burrowed further into the crook of Leo's neck. Leo moved his head, making room for his little brother.

"The Foot are not to be taken lightly." The blue banded turtle said.

"And you think they're a part of this?" Kallie asked.

"Sounds like em', especially after that attack a few weeks ago." Raphael answered.

"All of this because of some stupid combination! And who the hell knows what it's even hiding?!" Kallie exasperated.

"Hopefully we'll be finding out soon." Don's soft voice replied.

OoOoOoO

Mikey slept the rest of the trip and had to be roused by Leo. The five of them found the base easily and since Kallie was still under the age of 23 her military ID card still worked. The guys completely disappeared inside of the van somehow and didn't reappear until they were past the gates.

"That was close." Kallie commented. "We're lucky we didn't get chosen for a random car search."

"Does that happen often?" Michelangelo asked.

Kallie nodded. "All the time since 9/11."

"So where're we headed Blondie?" Raph asked.

"Well my dad's unit is on the other side of post and his old locker should still be there," said Kaliyah. "If he was trying to keep something safe and hidden then I'm 100% sure that it'll be in that locker."

"Hope it's not some bio-medical bomb type thing." Mike commented.

"What?!" Kallie demanded, her heart pounding at the thought that her dad could be harboring something that deadly.

Raph reached back and smacked Michelangelo upside the head.

"OW! What?" The youngest turtle demanded.

"Yer freakin' her out!"

"Oh, oops." Mikey responded, looking sympathetically at the blonde girl in front of him. "Sorry Kallie. I'm sure it's not anything like that."

"He wouldn't have left you to find something that would hurt you." Leonardo said.

"How do you know? What if he was forced to?" Kallie asked, feeling herself getting hysterical.

"Because he loved ya! Jeez, I think the blonde musta seeped into yer brain." Raph replied with an eye roll.

"No seat belt checks!" Donatello yelled out before Kallie could do just that. "I have sensitive equipment back here!" Kallie eased her foot away from the brake.

"You're freaking lucky Donnie's back there to save your ass from eating the windshield." Kallie told Raph with a scowl.

Raph scoffed. "Yer lucky yer drivin' to save yer ass from eating that steering wheel."

"Leave it." Leo warned from the back.

"I didn't even say anything!" Kallie protested.

"You were going to." Leo replied.

Kallie resisted the urge to flip him off as they finally arrived to her dad's old headquarters.

"This is it." Kaliyah announced, her heart racing.

"So what's the plan?" Mikey asked.

"Wait until tonight to break in." Leo replied.

"So what do we do till then?" Kaliyah asked.

"I suggest we scope that place out first, then get a room to rest in."

"Why not break in now?" Kallie asked, not really wanting to wait.

"Because it's filled with military trained personnel." Leo replied dryly.

"And? Y'all are highly trained ninjitsu warriors!" Kallie exclaimed, then looked at Raph and pointed at his chest. "Don't let that get to your head, I'm just trying to make a point."

And before Raph could even make a comment Leo interrupted him with an answer. "Ninjitsu is more than just physical force, it's also about strategy. We've been driving all night and some rest would do us all some good."

"The faster we get in the faster this is all finally over." Kallie told him.

"I know. And I know you are ready for this to be over, but we need to be smart about this." Leo replied.

"But—"

Leo put his hand up. "This isn't up for discussion."

Kallie scowled furiously at him before slamming the van into reverse and peeling out of the parking lot. There was a hotel on post, though it was called a guest house, and Kallie had known the manager since she had stayed there so much when visiting her dad. Luckily Mr. Greene was still the manager and was currently working the front desk.

"Kaliyah? Little Kaliyah Miller?" The older man exclaimed, enveloping Kallie in a bear hug.

Kallie hugged him back just as fiercely. "It's been a while. It's good to see you Mr. Greene."

He pulled back and beamed down at her. "You are a sight for sore eyes! How ya doin' kid?"

"I'm fine."

"I'm so sorry about your dad Kallie." He told her, his eyes growing soft.

"Thanks. I'm actually here to get a few things I think he might've left. I've been driving all night though and could use a place to get some rest. I might be here all weekend."

"Oh you know you will always have a room here Kallie! And if you are gonna be here all weekend I'm taking you out to dinner. Mrs. Greene will be furious with me if she finds out I've seen you and she hasn't!"

Kallie laughed at that. Mrs. Greene could be a pretty terrifying woman, but she was the sweetest person on this planet. "I'd love that."

Mr. Greene hugged her once more before booking a room for her and giving her a key. Kallie thanked him and promised to catch up with him later. The room was one she had stayed in before. Her mind was flooded with memories of her mother and father and her being together and happy; watching movies, playing scrabble, epic tickle fights that she lost, and a plethora of other memories. She had just set her own duffle bag on one of the beds and turned to close the door when she heard movement behind. She whirled around quickly and saw all four turtles looking as if they had been there for hours.

"Jeez guys!" Kallie exclaimed before shutting and locking the door. "What have I told y'all about sneaking around?!"

"What have we told you about paying better attention to your surroundings?" Leo countered.

Kallie glared at him and pointed her finger at his chest. "Hey, your speaking privileges have been revoked."

Leo looked amused. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. You pissed me off and you're not allowed to talk anymore for the rest of the day."

"Good luck with that Blondie, I've been trying to do that for years." Raph muttered.

She turned on the red banded turtle next. "Be careful or your next."

Raph merely rolled his eyes. Mikey was lounging on the other bed while Don was at the little table still staring at his laptop.

"Alright guys, let's get a few hours of sleep. It's 7am now and we've got a good 15 hours before we can even think about breaking in," said Leonardo. "We'll go through some practice drills and maybe even a meditation session or two throughout the day."

"Dude, a nap sounds great." Mikey said, stretching his arms above his head and closing his eyes.

"Mikey, you slept almost the entire way here." Donatello said with a wry smile.

"Hey, I gotta get my beauty sleep."

"And obviously he needs a lot of it." Raph retorted with a wink at Kallie.

"Nowhere near as much as you need." Mikey replied without opening his eyes.

"Off the computer Donnie." Leo instructed the genius. Don looked up and Leo saw that his eyes were red. He knew that his little brother had been staring at that screen non-stop for at least 7 hours. Don yawned and closed his laptop before flopping himself down on the other bed. Raphael was stretched out on the couch that occupied the corner and Leo settled himself in the armchair next to it. Kallie slipped into the bathroom, changing into a pair of sweats and a baggy t-shirt. She pulled her long blonde hair into a knot on top of her head. She looked into the mirror and frowned.

She looked exhausted.

Her normally pale skin was even paler, she had dark shadows under eyes, and she could see the tension in her shoulders. Mr. I'm The Boss Get Over It was probably going to stay awake the whole time just to make sure the rest of them went to sleep, Kallie figured. And as much as she hated to admit that he was right, sleep didn't exactly sound like too bad of an idea. The only down side was that she really didn't want to have any nightmares. She had been having them almost every night for the past week. She sighed and walked back into the room. Don was snoring slightly, already passed out. Raphael's breathing seemed pretty even as well. Kallie looked at Leo next and knew immediately the oldest turtle was still awake. She looked at Mikey after that and he opened one eye and scooted over, motioning for her to lie down. She slipped under the covers and curled her back against Mikey's chest. The orange banded turtle pulled her hair out of its knot on top of her head.

"Oi." She murmured indignantly.

Mikey started fiddling with her hair. "I like playing with it."

Kallie laughed softly. "Really? It's so long and unruly."

She could feel Michelangelo shrug. "It's pretty and curly."

Kallie didn't say anything. In all honesty it felt kinda nice having Mikey play with her hair. When she was younger her mom and dad would stroke her hair whenever she was sick or sad, and it never failed to soothe her right to sleep.

"I don't wanna go to sleep." She whispered to Mike.

For some reason she felt like she could be kinda open to the youngest turtle. He seemed to be able to relate to whatever it was she was going through. And he always made her feel better. No matter what was going on at the time, she always felt better after talking with Mikey.

"Nightmares?" He asked.

She shook her head yes. "They're terrifying."

"I know."

"I hate them."

"I know." He responded.

"I don't want to sleep."

"I'm right here."

Mikey never tried to have an explanation or a false promise of hope. It was always 'I know' or 'I'm here,' never an 'It'll be okay' or 'Things will get better.' And it was because he knew it wasn't okay and that there was a possibility that things wouldn't get better. But he could promise that he understood and that he would be there for her.

Soon Kallie heard Michelangelo singing softly in Japanese. She had no idea what he was saying but she couldn't help but notice that Mike had a very nice singing voice. It was a bit deeper than his normal tone of voice, but it was clear and quite lovely. Mikey sang softly while stroking her hair and soon Kallie found herself whisked away to a nightmare free sleep.

OoOoOoO

The five of them slept for about six hours before Leonardo woke them all up and urged them to practice with a few sparring sessions. There was a field surrounded by thick trees that was pretty well hidden where they practiced. Kallie only did one session with Leo and of course it was all about defense again. She grumbled and complained but Leo didn't budge. After their sparring sessions they went back inside to meditate. And for once Mikey and Raph listened. Normally they only pretended to meditate, but this time they did exactly as their leader instructed them.

This terrified Kallie.

They were worried. It was the only explanation. And if they were worried then that must mean they really thought something bad was going to happen. Kallie tried to meditate as well but her mind was racing. She was finally going to know what this combination was hiding. She was finally going to know just who was involved in all of this; who burned down her apartment, who threatened her mom. Kaliyah was more than ready to finally end everything, but now she was starting to feel as if this was just going to be the beginning.

"Kallie?" A voice pulled her from her musings.

"Hm?"

"You ready?" Leo asked.

"Is it time already?"

Leo nodded.

"Let's do this then."

And they were on the road and parking in front of her dad's old barracks before she could even blink. They piled out of the van and quickly made their way to the back of the building. Once there, Donnie got out his laptop and quickly punched in a few keys before making a sound of victory.

"Success?" Mikey asked.

"Success." Don confirmed with a smile.

"What did you do?" Kallie asked.

"Hacked into their security system."

"You hacked into a military security system?" Kallie demanded, slightly appalled yet slightly impressed as well.

Don blushed and nodded sheepishly. "I uh…I've done it before…"

Kallie rolled her eyes. "Of course you have."

"Alright, we get in and we get out. Kallie will help lead the way. Mikey, you cover the sides." Mike nodded and Leo continued. "Donnie's got surveillance but will be following us, covering the back. Raph will be directly behind Kallie and I'll cover the front, following her directions."

"Why ya always gotta be up front Fearless?" Raph asked.

Leonardo sighed. "Raph, is now really the time?"

"Look, I ain't sayin' ya can't do it or anything. I'm just sayin' maybe give someone else the seemingly more dangerous job."

"Here they go again." Mike murmured.

"And I suppose that someone else means you?" Leo asked wryly.

"Yeah, me. I'm bigger than all of ya, I could make it easy for ya to escape if need be."

"What by sacrificing yourself?" Leo scoffed. "Fat chance that'll happen Raph. You'll be behind Kallie."

"That's not what I'm sayin'—"

"Then what are you saying Raphael?"

"Don't full name me _Leonardo_." Raph sneered. "Yer not the only competent one on this team!"

"I never said I was!"

"Yer actions always say otherwise!"

"My actions? _My actions_?"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Kallie's voice boomed through the argument. The four turtles whipped their heads to stare incredulously at her. Raph and Leo's jaws were dropped completely open.

"Both of you just shut the hell up! This is no time for arguing alright?" Kallie told them, her temper beyond flared. Raph opened his mouth but Kallie stopped him with a scowl. "What did I just say? Shut the hell up! This isn't about you two alright? This is about me and my family! And speaking of family, what are you two doing?! _You're_ family! You're brothers! Get over and get along!"

"Kallie you don't underst—" Leo tried.

"Save it Blue Boy. Just because you say something doesn't freakin' make it law alright? And just because someone asks questions about your plan doesn't mean they're undermining your authority! It's okay to question orders to better understand why you ordered them in the first place!"

Leo said nothing, just stood there looking shamefaced. Raph had a slight smirk on his face and that increased Kallie's anger.

"And _you_," she pointed at Raph. "Wipe that smirk off your face before I do it for you! You don't have to question every little thing he does alright? Did you ever stop and think that the reason he puts himself out there first is to protect you?"

"I don't need prot—"

"_Everyone_ needs protection sometimes and that includes you! Just because he doesn't choose you to be on the front lines doesn't mean he thinks you're incompetent! He would rather something bad happen to him than for something bad to happen to you! That's called love, not arrogance!" Kallie finished. Her throat felt raw from all the yelling and she was shaking with anger. These two had royally pissed her off.

"Whoa." Mikey finally said after a few minutes of silence. "Remind me never to piss you off!"

"And if you two do this again I swear I will turn this van around!" Kallie added.

The sides of Raph's and Leo's mouths both quirked up slightly, Kallie tried hard to maintain her scowl.

"Oh c'mon Kallie that was funny!" Mikey responded.

"I'm still pissed, no laughing!" Kallie told him, trying desperately to keep from smiling.

"Let's go guys." Leo said. He gave a nod to Kallie which Kallie took as an apology and nodded back at him. Raph did the same thing before setting to work and picking the lock to the back door. They were inside in less than 2 seconds.

"Which way?" Don asked.

"Dad's locker is on the second floor, first room on the right. That's where all of the higher ranking NCO's lockers were."

"Lead the way oh Woman of Tempers." Mike said, slightly bowing to Kallie. Kallie rolled her eyes and ducked her head to hide the smile on her face.

They quickly ran up the stairs and Kallie wrenched open the door to the old locker room before leading the turtles to her dad's old locker.

"This is it!" Kallie exclaimed.

"Be careful." Raphael told her as she immediately started the combination.

There was a click and the locker opened. Kallie's heart was pounding and her breathing was shallow as she opened the small door and looked inside. The locker was holding a small jewelry type of box, one that looked like it would hold an engagement ring. Kallie looked around and couldn't see anything else. She reached inside and grabbed the small box, turning and facing the guys.

"What's in it?" Michelangelo asked.

"Let's find out." Kallie replied. She took a deep, shaky breath and then felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Raph looking intently down at her. He was trying to comfort her and in all honesty she did feel a little bit better with the small comforting touch. She nodded at him and opened the box.

"It's…it's a key…" Kallie breathed. It was indeed a key; a very old and very heavy looking key. Kallie picked it up and it was indeed heavy for a key.

"A key?" Don exclaimed.

"But what's it for?" Mikey asked.

"I dunno…I've…I've never seen it before." Kaliyah responded.

Leonardo took the box and examined it. He pulled the small pillow out and out dropped a folded up piece of paper. He picked it up and quickly opened it up, him and Raph scanning it before the leader looked up and handed it to Kallie. Kallie reached out and took it.

_Kaliyah,_

_Hey kid, if you're reading this then I'm already gone. And I am so, so sorry. Just know, that you are the greatest thing that ever happened to me okay? I am so proud of you kid. I love you and there is nothing I wouldn't have done for you. But now I have to ask you for something. I can only trust you with this Kaliyah. This key unlocks a box that holds something very important. The coordinates for the box are written on something very important that I gave you. I can't disclose what it is in this letter. But I can give you a hint. Remember what I gave you for Christmas four years ago? It's there. Try to remember kid. I'm counting on you. I love you so much Kaliyah. Be brave daughter. For me. _

_Love, _

_Dad. _

Kallie could feel tears pouring down her face. She could hear choking noises and realized that they were coming from her. She was sobbing; literally sobbing. She could hardly breathe and soon she was enveloped by strong hands and her face was met with plastron. She didn't know who had hugged her, but soon she felt three other figures move around her and she was completely surrounded with arms grabbing on to her, reassuring her.

"It's okay Kallie." She heard Mikey whisper.

"We're here fer ya Blondie." Came Raph's reply.

"We're gonna help you." Donnie said.

"We'll do this together." Leo added.

Kallie pushed back and looked up at the four brothers through tear filled eyes. "This is pretty much a wild goose chase."

"Good thing I'm fast then huh?" Mikey replied.

Kallie couldn't help but laugh.

Raphael reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Let's go get that Christmas present."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Alright guys, here's the next chapter! I know it's taking me a lot longer to update, but my wrist can only take so much right now. I hope y'all love it!**

**Disclaimer: Insert depressing yet witty remark about how I own nothing here. **

Chapter 18: Complicated Doesn't Even Begin to Describe Life Right Now.

Kaliyah was exhausted. Actually, that wasn't even a good enough adjective to use to describe just how tired she was. And not just physically tired. No, no. She was tired mentally, spiritually, physically, metaphysically, and any other 'ally' that there was. Every time she thought that she finally had the answer she was sent on another wild goose chase.

It was maddening.

They had just arrived back at the guest house. Leonardo had demanded that they all get some sleep before attempting to go back to the lair. Kallie was too tired to argue with him about it and so she drove all of them back. The car ride was silent except for the occasional sniffle from Kallie (even thought she'll vehemently deny it later). Kallie went straight to the bathroom and took a very long and very hot shower. She felt the need to wash off the stench of failure.

What was her dad thinking? Why was he sending her on this stupid mission? What in the world was he involved in? Did her mother know? And if not, why did he keep Danika in the dark? Why give this mission to Kallie? Why trust her and not her mother? How was the Foot involved in all of this? Does that mean that her dad was part of the Foot? Surely not. He's trying to keep whatever this is away from the Foot. Right?

Kaliyah sighed, allowing the water to try and de-stress her. She could feel the tension in her shoulders, her back, and her neck. She was wound tighter than rattlesnake about to strike. She could hear the boys whispering softly to one another and she knew they were discussing her. She didn't blame them. They had to be just as sick of this wild goose chase as she was. She was surprised they had put up with her for so long. Surely they were sick of her just as they were sick of the situation. Kallie let out another long suffering sigh before getting out of the shower. She didn't feel like blow drying her hair so she towel dried it before pulling into a messy bun on top of her head. She quickly dressed in a pair of gray sweats and a white long sleeve t-shirt before exiting the bathroom. Four pairs of eyes turned to her and she felt her face heat up.

"What?" She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

Raph snorted. "Calm down Sweetness, we just wanna make sure yer okay."

Kallie rolled her eyes at him. "I'm fine."

"You look ready to pass out." Donatello supplied.

"I'm not gonna pass out," said Kallie. "I told you I'm fine."

Leo squinted at her once more before going to the recliner and pulling his Katana's in his lap to polish. Donnie was at the little table staring at his laptop. Raphael was lounging on the bed closest to the window and Mikey was on the other one. She locked eyes with the orange banded turtle and he motioned for her to come sit next to him. She obliged and he pushed on her back gently, making her lay on her stomach.

"What're you doing?" She asked.

"You look really tense." He told her as he started kneading her shoulders. Kallie released a moan and surrender to Mikey's ministrations. She heard the others chuckle.

"Oh Michelangelo, where have you been all my life?" Kallie asked.

Mikey barked out a laugh. "Just saving the world, one massage at a time."

"Please don't ever stop." Kallie replied, trying to keep her obscenely inappropriate noises to herself. Mikey had magical fingers and Kallie had never felt anything so wonderful before in her life.

"You have a lot of knots." Mike commented.

"I've been under a bit of stress." Kallie replied dryly.

"I can tell." Mike stated, moving from her shoulders to her back. Kallie sunk deeper into the mattress and allowed Michelangelo's magical, wonderful, fantastic fingers to work out the stress from her body. Of course the problems were still there, but at least physically she was feeling better. Mikey was making his way down her back when he grabbed at her ribcage, making her yelp.

"Are you okay?" Mikey asked, worry in his eyes. "Did I hurt you?"

The others were all looking at her too, concern etched across their features. All except Raphael. He looked smug, a smirk on his face as he chuckled and shook his head. Kaliyah shot him a look that screamed 'shut the hell up.'

"M'fine Mikey." She told the youngest turtle.

"Are you sure?" He asked, looking genuinely frightened.

Raph snorted and Kallie threw him another sharp look.

"She's ticklish Mike." Raph narked.

"Raph!" Kallie shouted, wanting to throw something at the red banded turtle. She quickly turned around, sitting up and facing Mike.

Mike looked confused for all of .2 seconds before a mischievous grin spread across his face.

"Don't even _think_ about it Michelangelo." Kallie warned, using his full name to show she meant business.

"You'll never out run me Kaliyah." Mikey retorted, wiggling his fingers threateningly. Kallie squinted at him before doing what any normal person would do when met with a teenage mutant ninja turtle wielding tickling hands of doom.

She booked it.

Kallie tried to scramble off the bed but of course Michelangelo was too damn fast for her and he caught her ankle easily before pulling her back towards him on the bed and digging his fingers into her sides. Kaliyah immediately burst into laughter.

"Stop!" Kallie gasped out between giggles.

"Never!" Mikey cackled evilly, tickling her rib cage. Leo couldn't help but smile at the sight of his little brother tickling the snot out of Kallie. He had never heard Kallie laugh like that before. She chuckled here and there, but this was full on helpless laughter; bright and unrestrained. It was a nice sound and the oldest turtle couldn't help but think she should laugh like that more often.

"Plehehehehease! Stahahahap!" Kallie begged as Mike continued tickling her ribs.

"Give the girl a break Mikey, she kinda needs to breathe." Raphael commented, a grin on his face.

"So childish." Donatello commented, but he too was grinning.

"Don't make me start on you Donnie!" Mike threatened, pointing a finger at the purple banded turtle. This gave Kallie a breather and she sucked in as much oxygen as she could before letting out a peal of laughter as Mikey went back to work on her ribs.

"Nohoho! M-Mikey!" Kallie pleaded. She couldn't form more than one word at a time since she was laughing to hard. She was trying to swat away his hands, but she never really was coordinated when she was being tickled. Granted, it'd been quite a few years since she was tickled but it looked as if some things never change.

Finally the orange banded turtle had mercy and he stopped his attack, leaning back and grinning like a fool down at her.

"I…hate you…" Kallie panted, a helpless smile on her face.

"Feel better?" Mike asked, ignoring her previous statement.

"My ribs hurt," Kallie whined. "That was torture."

Raph scoffed. "That ain't torture. Let Leo get a hold of ya and then you'll know torture."

Leo rolled his eyes, but a smug smirk graced his features. "I'm pretty sure you're exaggerating."

It was Donnie's turn to scoff. "You had me ticklish in places I normally wasn't ticklish!"

"What? That's not true," said Leo. "You're just ticklish everywhere."

"Donnie's got a point," Mikey added. "Dude, you had me in hysterics just by squeezing my knee."

"That's a common ticklish spot." Leo defended. "I'm sure Kallie's ticklish there as well."

Kallie brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "Don't you dare!" She cried as Mikey reached for her knee. The boys laughed and Kallie found herself smiling at them as well even as she playfully (somewhat, given the torture she just endured) punched Mikey in the shoulder.

"What was that for?" She demanded, a grin still on her face.

Mikey shrugged. "Just thought you could use a laugh."

Kallie rolled her eyes but then got a good look at Mikey and she saw genuine care in his baby blue eyes. Kallie smiled brightly at him then. "Thanks Mikey."

Mikey grinned back at her, his face shining with gratitude before he schooled his features into a slightly arrogant look and saying, "I'm the tickle king, all ya gotta do is ask and I'll be more than happy to make you laugh!"

Kallie's eyes widened in mock horror. "I don't think I'll be asking for that any time soon."

"Yeah, and besides," said Donnie. "We all know Leo is the tickling king."

"Damn straight." Muttered Leo.

Kallie let out a playful gasp. "Doth mine ears deceive me? Did Mr. I Never Do Anything So Fear Me really just curse?"

Leonardo looked at her before rolling his eyes and closing them once more, a smile playing on his lips. "I'm the oldest; I can do what I want."

Kallie was loving this. Leo was being snarky and she couldn't think of anything greater. After the stress of the past evening it felt great to laugh and to genuinely enjoy herself and her new friends. She loved this lighter and more playful side of Leo. She mentally gave herself a pat on the back, thinking that it was because of her previous rant gave him the push to chill out a little bit.

"Actually, _I'm_ the oldest and _I_ can do what _I_ want."

Leo opened his eyes to look at her, the playful gleam still there. "Oh yeah, when's your birthday?"

"August 27th."

"Ha, I am older." Leo replied smugly. "My birthday is February 25th."

"What?!" Kallie asked indignantly. "No way!"

Don nodded with a smile. "It's true. I was able to pinpoint months and years but we all got to choose our own day."

"So when is everyone's birthday?" Kaliyah asked.

"Leo's is February 25th, Raph's is May 25th, mine is August 25th, and Mikey's is October 25th." Don told her.

"Why all on the 25th?" Kallie asked.

Donatello shrugged. "I dunno…we all just decided that the 25th was a good day."

Kallie thought it was perhaps the sweetest thing she'd ever heard.

"So we'll sleep and then head back for the lair around 7am. Then go from there. Get a plan of action and find that Christmas present." Leo stated, capturing the attention of everyone in the room.

Kallie had been wracking her brains all night trying to figure out what the present was. Her father had died seven years ago...he never gave her anything for Christmas since then of course but then...what...

Kallie jumped to her feet, running to her duffle bag and ripping it open. She knew the turtles were probably looking at her like she was crazy, but she didn't care. Finally she found her jeans and pulled out what she was searching for.

"This is it!" She cried, holding open a necklace.

Four heads turned to look at her.

"A necklace?" Donnie asked.

"It's a locket that showed up at our doorstep on Christmas. We had no idea where it came from but it was gorgeous and I decided to keep it," said Kallie. "It became a joke between my mom and I because it never opened so we guessed that I had some kind of secret admirer who was too scared to show me what he looked like."

"You think this is what he meant?" Leo asked.

"It has to be! He hasn't given me a Christmas present in years. I was 16 when I got this; four years ago."

"It's worth a shot." Mikey said.

"I don't know how to open it though." Kallie told them. "I've never been able to even get it to budge."

"Let me try." Raph said, flipping a Sai into his hand and taking the locket. Raph tried a few times, but couldn't seem to open it either. He passed it off to Leo who tried and then passed it to Don who also could not open it.

"Let me try." Mikey said. The orange banded turtle was handed the locket and after looking at it carefully, tongue sticking out comically, he pushed down and it popped open.

"How did you do that?!" Kallie asked.

Mikey shrugged. "I've got the magic touch." He handed her the locket and Kallie ripped it open.

Inside was a picture of her dad with her and her mom. It was a tiny and older picture. Kallie must've been around 11 when it was taken. She didn't really remember the picture, but they all looked happy. Kaliyah smiled fondly before looking at the other side and finding a small piece of paper. She plucked it out and read out loud, " 43.1547° N, 77.6158° W"

"Where is that Donnie?" Leo asked.

Donatello instantly grabbed for his laptop and clicked typed the cooridinates in. "Rochester New York."

"How far away is that?" Mike asked.

"About two and a half hours." Don answered.

"Where in Rochester is he wanting me to go though?" Kallie asked. Raph grabbed the little piece of paper and turned it to the back. On the back held two words, 'Mount Hope.'

"Mount Hope?" Raph asked aloud.

"What's that?" Kallie asked.

"It's a cemetery." Don replied.

"A cemetery?" Kallie repeated. "What could possibly be at a cemetery?"

"Dead people?" Mikey offered.

Kallie rolled her eyes. "Really? I had no idea."

Mikey laughed at that.

"You ready?" Leo asked suddenly, looking right at Kallie.

"For what?"

"Well, do you want to finish this or not?"

Kallie's eyes widened and a smile spread across her face. "You mean now?" She asked.

Leo laughed gently. "No not now. You still need to sleep, we all do actually. But we'll go straight to Rochester instead of stopping back at the lair."

"Really?!" Kallie asked, completely surprised.

"Really." Leo replied. Kallie squealed and shot off the bed and into Leo, her arms wrapping around the turtle.. The leader let out an 'oof' as he stumbled slightly, before he wrapped his arms around her as well.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Leo pressed a gentle kiss on top of her head. "You're welcome."

OoOoOoO

The drive to Rochester was definitely quieter than the drive to Ft. Drum had been. Kallie turned on one of her Regina Spektor CDs and turned it up loud, trying to distract herself from the overwhelming task ahead of her and the turtles. They were already in Rochester, a few minutes away from the cemetery when it happened. She wasn't really paying too much attention until Mikey shouted her name.

"KALLIE!"

Kallie looked up and saw that there were tons of people standing in the middle of the road. And not just any people.

Foot ninjas.

Kallie slammed on the brakes, the van swerving slightly before coming to a screeching halt. Raph turned to look at Kallie, "I know ya never listen to a word I say, but please stay in the van." And then the four turtles were clambering out of the vehicle. Kallie was a little stunned, her heart pounding but she soon followed them.

The brothers were standing defensively, weapons out and ready to strike. Raph cast Kaliyah a sideways glance as she made her way to his side.

"What happened to staying in the van?" The red banded turtle asked.

"What happened to you knowing I never listen to a word you say?" She countered. Raphael rolled his eyes.

"Be prepared guys." Leo stated firmly. The ninjas were just eyeing each other. Kallie was scared, but there was no way she was going to let the four of them charge into battle without her.

Finally, after about two minutes of just staring, a Foot ninja stepped forward. Raphael growled and took a step forward. Leonardo blocked him with a sword. "Hold on."

Raph turned and looked at Leo, his expression angry and confused.

"We do not wish to fight you turtles." The ninja stated.

Mikey scoffed before whispering, "That's cuz they know we'll kick their ass."

"What do you want?" Leo asked loudly.

"Her." The ninja replied, pointing at Kallie.

Raph growled louder, bringing a hand to Kallie's elbow and pushing her behind him. "Ain't gonna happen."

"What do you want with her?" Leo asked.

Kallie had to stand on her tiptoes in order to see what was going on, Raph was a couple of inches taller than her, the Foot ninja tilted his head to the side and although his mask was covering his face Kallie knew he was squinting his eyes at the five of them.

"That is not your concern." He responded.

"The hell it isn't." Donatello snarled. Kallie looked at the purple banded turtle, shocked at the fierceness of his statement. The normally gentle turtle had a look of pure, unadulterated rage on his face. Kallie glanced at Mikey next and saw he too wore the same look of rage.

"She is the key." The Foot ninja said suddenly.

"The key?" Leo asked. "The key to what?"

"To everything." He replied simply.

"Cryptic much?" Raph asked with a roll of his eyes. Kallie was getting fed up with this and wanted to demand some answers. She took a deep breath and decided to use some of the training she'd been getting lately; so she hit the back of Raphael's knee making him drop and she slid underneath his arm, running in front of the guys but still distancing herself from the army of ninja's in front of her.

"Kallie! No!" Leo yelled.

"What do you mean I'm the 'key to everything?'" She demanded.

"Did your father tell you nothing?" The ninja asked.

Kallie's stomach dropped, but she steeled herself and looked coldly at the ninja. "What do you know about my father?"

"A lot more than you do it seems," said the Foot ninja. "Come with us Kaliyah and all the answers you've been searching for will be revealed."

"They'll be revealed to you as well and I don't think I want that to happen."

"This is so much bigger than you, you silly girl."

"What does this have to do with my father?" Kallie demanded.

"If you do not come willingly, we will take you," the Foot ninja said, a bit of irritation in his voice. "Not now, but soon. And we will slay everyone who stands in the way." He added, looking pointedly at the turtles.

"You goons have been trying that for years and we're still standing." Michelangelo said with a twist of his weapons.

"You've been warned. You have 8 hours Key," the ninja said, staring at Kallie. "Choose wisely Key." And with that he started walking away, his posse with him. He stopped suddenly though, turning to look back. "Karai says hi by the way Michelangelo."

Mikey inhaled sharply at those words and Kallie turned to look at him, the color drained from his face and he was shaking slightly. His older brothers all snarled dangerously, Raphael actually barrelling forward to obviously stomp the ninja into the ground, but Kaliyah stepped in front of him, putting her hands against his plastron.

"Raph no."

"Move." He told her, his chest heaving.

"Just leave it. He's trying to mess with our heads." She told him. "Don't let him get to you."

"He'll pay for what he said to my little brother." Raph growled.

"Stop Raph, I mean it. Let's just go!" She pleaded. He made a move to step around her and she jumped in front of him again. "Raphael!"

That stopped him. He looked down at her, his angry face turning to one of amusement. "Did ya just full name me?"

The blonde girl smiled at him before schooling her features into a scowl. "Well something had to get through that thick skull of yours!"

Raph shook his head and put his weapons away before placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it, the two of them making their way back towards the others.

"You okay little brother?" Leonardo asked a clearly shaken Mike.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." He told them, trying for an easy smile.

Kallie looked at her companions and guilt washed over her. Mikey was worried because of her. He had to relive a terrible memory because of her. Leo and the others had to listen to ridicule and risk their lives because of her. They could get hurt. Hell, Mikey had already taken a ninja death star in the leg for her. That was all her fault and if they got hurt again it would be all her fault as well. She sure as hell couldn't protect them, she had just started getting decent at weapons training but she still didn't have a weapon of her own yet. They had sacrificed so much for her. They gave up part of their home for her to live in, they gave up their own daily routines in order to help her feel more at home, they gave up their normal patrols to look after her and her mom, they gave up so much of their time to help her learn how to defend herself, and so many other things. And how did she repay them? By throwing them in the middle of some unknown battle between her dad and the Foot. She couldn't let this continue. They had given up so much and she had returned so little to them. It was a wonder they were still with her since she obviously had nothing to give back to them. And she wouldn't let anything hurt them again. Ever. There was one thing she could do, one thing she could give to them that would keep them safe.

She would turn herself in.

"C'mon Kallie, we're only a few minutes away from the cemetery, if we hurry we'll be able to figure this all out before the Foot do." Mikey said as the four of them made their way back to the van. Kallie didn't move though.

"Kallie?" Mikey called again.

"I can't." Kallie croaked out, her throat feeling suddenly tight as her emotions overtook her.

"What do you mean?" Don asked.

"I mean I can't. We only have 8 hours until the Foot strike again guys," said Kallie, tears threatening to pour from her face. "We're being followed for sure and the only way to keep you guys safe is for me to go with them."

"What?" All four of them demanded at the same time.

"Kallie, that's nuts!" Mike cried.

"There's no way they can take us down Kallie." Donnie added.

"Yer not goin' with them." Raph stated firmly.

"You can't stop me." She told him, smiling sadly.

"The hell I can't!" Raph snarled.

"Kallie, you can't just give yourself up to them!" Leo told her.

"And I can't let you guys get hurt because of me!" Kallie shouted. "You guys have sacrificed so much for me and I'm done! I'm not letting it happen anymore alright?! Not when I haven't done anything to deserve your kindness!"

"What are you talking about?" Leo asked, exasperated.

"You guys have done nothing but give and give and give! And I've done _nothing_ to deserve it! All I've done is disrupt y'alls lives in every way possible!"

"That's not true..." Donnie tried.

"It is true!" Kallie interrupted. "I've got Mikey hurt, Donnie staying up at all hours of the night trying to keep an eye on anyone who may know me Raph and Leo pulling double training sessions so I'm not completely useless! Not to mention all of y'all are going on patrols twice as much as usual to also keep an eye out for my mom! And what do you guys get out of it huh?"

"Why do you think everyone is out to get something from you?" Mikey suddenly yelled. The outburst shocked everyone, including Kallie who opened her mouth to say something but abruptly closed it as Mikey made his way towards her, grabbing her shoulders. "Do you really think that little of yourself?" He asked, giving her a little shake. "Do you really think that little of us? Did it ever occur to you that maybe we just like you? That maybe we're really just your friends and that we genuinely want to help? Or are you really that dumb?"

Kallie looked up into Mikey's blue eyes and saw his frustration. She hadn't meant it like that, she didn't think little of them, in fact she thought the world of the four turtles.

"Mikey...I didn't...I'm..."

He brought a finger underneath her chin and tipped her head up to look at him. "Hey, like it or not, you're family now."

Kallie couldn't hold the tears back. They poured down her face as she wrapped her arms around Mikey, hugging him tightly.

"I'm just n-not used t-to this okay?"

Mikey patted her head. "I know, but you're gonna have to get over it. You're a Hamato now." The others had joined to the other two and all agreed with Mike. He pulled back and smiled down at her. "Now, if you try to give yourself up to them I will hogtie you and lock you in a closet understand?"

Kallie laughed at that. "Yes sir."

"Good soldier." Mikey saluted.

"Alright, enough chick flick crap," said Raphael. "Let's get to the cemetery."

Kallie followed the four of them back into the van and they made their way back towards the cemetery. Kaliyah was truly grateful for what they all just said to her, and it made her feel so good and actually part of the family. And she knew that they would do anything to keep her safe, because she was family.

They were _her _family too.

And she would protect her family, even if it meant making them very angry. Because she would do anything for her family.

Anything.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: GUYS GUESS WHAT?! MY WRIST IS BETTER! HUZZAH! I'm almost 100% strength and I'm sooooooo STOKED! Thanks so much for all the prayers, thoughts, and good vibes that y'all have been sending my way. I love each of you! Now, enjoy this action-packed chapter! =]] **

**A/N2: Also, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL YOU PEOPLE OUT THERE! Strong Enough was nominated for Best OC in the Stealthy Stories competition and I got third place! I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HONORED! Thank you guys, thank you so much!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own them. Just the plot and Kallie. I guess I should be content huh? **

Chapter 19: Sacrifice.

"Where are we going?" Kaliyah asked as the group followed the genius turtle through the cemetery.

"The exact coordinates." He responded distractedly, glancing down occasionally to the gadget in his hand.

"Are we almost there?" Mikey asked. Donatello flashed him a look of annoyance and the younger turtle shut up.

"Here!" Don shouted after a few more minutes of walking. They were facing a huge tomb, one that looked as if it housed an entire generation.

"Think it's in here?" Mikey asked.

"Probably," said Kallie. "Ready to use your lock picking skills?"

Mikey grinned. "Always."

Mike unlocked the door with ease and the five of them stepped into the tomb. There had to be at least twenty name plates lining the walls where the dead family was buried. Kallie couldn't help but shiver. Not only was it cold, but it was eerie too. Kaliyah never did well around death. They five of them split up and looked around the tomb, trying to find what the key could possibly belong to.

"Hey, I think I found it." Don called.

Kallie all but ran to him and saw that there was a little wooden chest sitting on a stone shelf. Kaliyah took out the key and slipped it in, and the key did indeed fit. Kallie's heart was pounding once more as she turned the key and unlocked the chest. The young woman wrenched the top open and looked inside.

Nestled in a small cushion was a vial full of a bright blue liquid, it seemed to practically glow. Kallie picked it up and gasped at the warmth that radiated off of the vial.

"Are you okay?" Leo asked, grasping her arm.

Kallie nodded. "Y-Yeah...it's just...it's warm."

"What?" Don asked, making his way to Kallie and holding his hand out. She handed him the vial and Donnie started examining it.

After a few moments he finally spoke. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"What is it Donnie?" Mike asked.

"I have no idea," said Donatello. "We need to get this back to the lair. I'll be able to examine it further in my lab."

"Is it dangerous?" Kallie asked.

"I honestly have no idea, I'm sorry Kallie." The genius turtle replied, a sad look on his face. Kallie guessed that Don didn't exactly like the unknown.

"Don't apologize Donnie, it's fine." She told him gently with a smile. "We'll figure this out together right?"

Don smiled back at her. "Right."

"Well let's get going then," said Leo. "The faster we get back to the lair the better I'll feel."

"Worry wart." Kaliyah muttered. The leader shot her a look while Raph and Mikey snickered. Kallie grinned at him and he rolled his eyes, but not before a wry smile graced his face. Kallie let Donnie hold onto the vial as the group made their way out of the tomb. Once outside, Kallie looked up and saw that there was a surname carved into the stone of the tomb: Collins.

"Huh." Kallie said aloud without really meaning to.

"What is it?" Leonardo asked.

"That name is my mom's last name." Kallie responded.

"Her maiden name?" Don asked.

Kallie shook her head. "Her new married name. It's Robert's last name."

"Very good Kaliyah, I was beginning to think that you'd never connect the dots." A voice said. Weapons were drawn as the human and four turtles turned around to face the newcomer.

It was Robert.

"Robert?" Kallie gasped.

The man stepped forward, a calm smile on his face. He was wearing his cop uniform, his badge shining in the moonlight.

"Hello Kaliyah." He replied.

Kallie's expression turned dark, her anger at seeing him rising as her suspicion grew as well. "What're you doing here?" She demanded.

"Would you believe that I was simply worried about you?" He asked, that calm smile still on his face. It unnerved Kallie. "I mean, my daughter is out running about with four mutated turtles."

"I am _not_ your daughter." Kallie snarled back at him.

"You're my step-daughter."

"No I'm not. I'm nothing to you." She insisted.

"Oh but Kaliyah…you truly are everything." He replied.

"One step closer and I will end ya." Raphael hissed as Robert came closer. Robert turned his attention to the red banded turtle and smiled.

"Calm down Raphael, I have no wish to harm her."

"How the hell do ya know who I am?" Raph demanded.

"I know everything about all four of you," said Robert, and then he turned to look at each turtle one at a time as he spoke. "Leonardo; the oldest, the leader, and the most well trained. Raphael; the second oldest, the brawn of the group, and the most hot tempered. Donatello; the third oldest, the brains, and the most peaceful. And last but certainly not least is Michelangelo; the baby of the little family, the heart and soul of the group yes? Karai couldn't even break you. You are so much stronger than anyone gives you credit for Michelangelo."

"Don't talk to him." Kallie demanded, standing in front of the orange banded turtle. The three others had moved in closer as well. "In fact, why don't you just get the hell out of here?"

"I'm not leaving here without what I came for." He told her.

"Back off Robert, this has nothing to do with you. Retreat now and we will not harm you." Leonardo said in a chilling voice. Robert laughed, a cold and harsh laugh.

"You are truly a frightening creature Leonardo," said Robert. "However, you do _not_ frighten me. And on the contrary, this has _everything_ to do with me."

"What do you mean?" Kallie asked.

"Oh Kaliyah…for someone so smart you sure are so unaware of what is going on right in front of you." Robert replied with a shake of his head.

"Enough games! Tell me what it is that you're after!" Kallie shouted.

Robert whistled and made some kind of motion with his hands. The boys tightened their grips on their weapons and got into a more defensive stance. All of a sudden figures started emerging from the shadows all around the cemetery, making their way towards Robert. Raph growled low in his throat.

Foot ninjas.

"So you're working with them…" Kallie murmured, overwhelmed by the sheer number of ninjas in front of her. There had to be at least a hundred, no expanse of the cemetery was empty of a ninja clad body.

"You have no idea how long it took me to orchestrate this whole thing," said Robert, that same calm smile on his face. "It took a while, years actually."

"Orchestrate what?" Kallie asked, her voice low.

"This." He gestured wide, twisting left and right. "It all began when he found it and tried to hide it."

"He?"

Robert looked at her, a malicious glint in his eyes. "Your father."

Kallie gasped, feeling the breath leave her body all in one go. She reached behind her, trying to steady herself, when she felt a hand grasp hers tightly. Without even turning around she knew it was Michelangelo. He gave her hand a squeeze and she grasped it tightly back.

"What do you know about my father?"

"Much more than you know that's for sure."

"Shut up." Kallie whispered, feeling her throat close tight. She refused to allow Robert to lie to her. She knew her father. She knew her father better than anyone else in this world...right?

"Secrets are what your dad was good at."

"Shut up." Kaliyah repeated.

"You still have no idea what that thing does do you?" He asked, motioning to the glowing vial in Don's belt. "You've been sent on this wild quest and you still have no idea what it is that you hold. It's a secret right? A secret that he didn't reveal to you. And he won't you know, this is the last clue, the rest is up to you to figure out."

"Shut. Up."

"It really is quite the puzzle. I'm still trying to figure it out myself. I'm very close though, all I'm missing is one piece."

"And what piece is that?" Leo demanded.

"Kaliyah." He answered simply.

"You're not going to lay a finger on her." Leo growled.

Mikey pulled on Kaliyah's arm, tugging her back towards him but she shook him off and ran back to the front of the group.

"Kallie!"

"Get out of here. Now." Kallie warned Robert.

"I'm not leaving without what I came here for." He repeated. Kallie glared at him as he smiled broadly and held up two fingers. "Bring her to me."

And the fight was on.

Leonardo shoved Kallie behind a headstone as he threw himself into the fray. "Raph! Protection duty! Don, Mike, c'mon!" Don threw the vial to Kallie as he followed his brothers into the fight.

Raph started plowed through three Foot who had managed to get past his brothers, shielding Kallie from them. Kallie could only look in absolute horror as the four turtles valiantly fought through the horde of ninjas.

"Raph!" Kaliyah shouted as a ninja came from behind. Raph easily kicked him from behind without even looking. Kallie could hear grunts as fists and weapons connected with bodies. Kallie did her best to alert Raphael whenever danger was approaching, but there was only so much she could do. Raph was constantly moving around her, pushing her behind him or shoving her to the side to avoid a flying shuriken. Kaliyah let him do whatever it was he needed to in order to keep him safe. She couldn't do much of anything anyways. She didn't have a weapon of any sort and she wasn't sure if she was on par with any of the ninja out there fighting.

Suddenly she didn't have a choice.

Raphael was taking on four at once as a Foot soldier grabbed her from behind. Kallie felt the guy wrap his arms around her waist and try to hoist her up. Kallie elbowed him as hard as she could in the gut. The Foot soldier grunted and his grip loosened enough for Kallie to slip out and land a solid punch to his jaw. It hurt so much worse than she had imagined it would. Her knuckles felt as if they were on fire and she gasped as she shook her hand, trying to help alleviate the pain.

"Nice goin' Blondie!" Raph yelled out to her. Kallie turned to smile back at him when another ninja came at her.

"Duck!" Raphael commanded. Kallie heeded his warning, dropping to her knees immediately as a Foot came sailing though the air. The red banded turtle caught the guys' ankle in mid-air and threw him across the cemetery. Kallie saw another ninja pop up behind Raphael and she quickly kicked him in the back of his knees, forcing him to fall. She took advantage of that and grabbed a large branch she saw on the ground, slamming it down on the back of the ninja's head, effectively knocking him out.

"Ya knocked him out?" Raph asked, jamming a Sai into a ninja's gut.

"Yup!" She called back.

"Sweet!"

"I learned from the best." Kallie didn't know whether it was the adrenaline pumping through her veins or the complete concentration that had her moving so fast and strong, but she felt as if she was truly helping. Every so often a Foot soldier would slip by and make a grab for her and Kallie used every lesson she was ever taught by the boys to help keep them away from her and Raphael.

Raph was like a bull. He was plowing through Foot after Foot after Foot. The only time someone go past him was when he was taking on three or four at a time and luckily Kallie was able to incapacitate each one. It was easy to see that the Foot thought she was weak. She was no ninja of course, but over the course of the months she'd been at the lair the guys had taught her a lot of really great things. She regularly participated in sparring matches now and she even worked with weapons. She hadn't gotten the chance to get her own sword yet though and now she was really wishing that she had. It would've made this whole fight a lot easier.

"Raph status!" Leo's voice called from the distance.

"Doin' just fine!" The red banded turtle shouted back.

"Kallie?"

"A-Okay!"

"Mikey?"

"I'm good dude!"

"Enough!" A voice suddenly bellowed. The Foot immediately retreated, running to the middle of the cemetery where the voice called out. And in the middle stood Robert.

With a knife to Donatello's throat.

"Let him go." Raph snarled.

"You aren't in any position to be making demands, unless you want to see your brother's blood spilled all over this cemetery." Robert replied menacingly, pressing the knife and drawing blood.

"Stop!" Leo shouted, taking a step towards his little brother.

"One more move and we'll see just how human this mutant is."

Leo tightened his grip on his Katana's and stepped back.

"Let him go." Kallie said softly, slowly making her way to where Robert was holding Don.

"Kallie—"

"It's over Raph," said Kallie, interrupting him. "Let him go Robert, I'll come with you."

"Kallie, no." Don croaked out.

"Kallie you don't have to do this." Leo told her as she walked past him.

Kaliyah smiled at him. "I don't have a choice." She finally reached the vile man she had hated with all of her heart and soul. Don was staring at her with wide eyes, his fear shining through. "It's okay Donnie." She told him.

"Kallie…" He managed.

"Alright, I'm here now. Let them go." She told Robert.

Robert smiled coldly at her and quickly shoved Donatello away from him as he grabbed her and immediately had her in the same position Don had been in, the same knife pressed tightly against her own throat.

"Don't think about playing the hero's. One move and her throat will be slit." Robert told Don as he immediately reached for his Bo, his hand stopping when he mentioned killing the young blonde.

"You need her." Don growled.

"She is most beneficial yes," said Robert. "But we could figure it out eventually. She'll just save his a lot of time and a lot of money."

"Then why go through all this trouble? Take the vial and leave her!" Leo shouted.

"Because I'd rather save the time and money." Robert replied simply.

"This ain't over!" Raphael shouted.

"You will pay." Mikey said dangerously.

"I'm sure." Robert said, a bored tone to his voice. He smiled sharply suddenly and then snapped his fingers again.

"Kill them."

"NO!" Kallie screamed and soon she was fighting with all she had against his hold before she felt a sickening pain in the back of her head and her world went black.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Alright y'all! Here's the next chapter! I know I left it in a cliffy so I hope y'all will love this! Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! You guys rock my socks!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned them I'd be writing novels. But since I don't, I'll stick with fanficiton. =]]**

Chapter 20: Damsel in Distress? Hell to the No!

_Oh man…my head…_Kallie thought as she slowly came too. _Wh-What happened?_ She slowly opened her eyes and her vision swam before her. She shook her head, trying to clear it. She couldn't remember what had happened…she remembered that they had finally found the cemetery and that's when R—

Oh no.

The boys! She had to help them!

She went to stand when she noticed she was completely immobile; her hands and feet were tied to a chair that seemed to be cemented into the floor.

"ROBERT!" She screamed. "ROBERT YOU BASTARD, GET OUT HERE NOW!"

"Oh Kaliyah, do we really need all these theatrics?" A voice asked from the shadows. Kallie watched as Robert slowly emerged from the shadows.

"Let. Me. Go." She growled.

"Why? Where are you gonna go? Your friends won't be there to help you."

Kallie's heart dropped. "What did you do to them?"

"They will no longer be a nuisance to me or to anyone else," said Robert. "Ever."

"No…" Kallie whispered, tears filling her eyes and spilling onto her cheeks. He had to be lying. He just had to. They weren't dead. They weren't dead. They weren't dead.

"Oh they're dead." Robert stated cheerfully. "The Foot disposed of them, I was assured."

"YOU'RE LYING!" Kallie screamed.

"Kallie, you'll survive." Robert said, sounding bored. "They're dead, you're sad, let's move on. We can't quite figure out this." He pulled the vial with the blue liquid out of his pocket and showed it to her.

Kaliyah said nothing, just stared at the floor and allowed the tears to pour down her face.

"We know there's something missing and we know it has something to do with you," Robert continued. "Do you know what this is Kaliyah?"

Silence.

"It's the last puzzle piece to unlocking the mystery."

Silence.

"Do you know what the mystery is?"

Silence.

"Oh c'mon Kaliyah, I know you're just _dying_ to know."

"Shut up." She whispered, her eyes finally dragging upwards and looking at the man in front of her with as much contempt as she could muster.

"There we are now." Robert smiled. "The mystery is the power to create telekinesis."

"What?" That actually caught her attention.

"Telekinesis; the power to command things with your mind."

"You're crazy," said Kallie. "There's no such thing as telekinesis!"

"You've been living with four mutant turtles and you're telling me you don't believe in telekinetic powers?"

"Don't talk about them." She warned him dangerously.

"This vial holds a very vital part of actually creating a genetic strand to grant those strong enough with this power."

"You're nuts."

Robert shook his head. "You don't remember ever using your power?"

"My what?!"

"Kaliyah, you are the _very form_ of this power."

"Remember what I said earlier about you being crazy?"

Robert barked out a laugh. "Haven't you ever wondered why you're able to discern between liars and those who tell the truth?"

Kallie said nothing.

"You can sniff out a lie from a mile away. I know you can. That's why you've never been able to trust me and you still love your mother."

"Leave her out of this." Kaliyah snarled.

"You once slammed the door right in your mother's face without even moving it."

"That was the wind…" Kallie explained, her voice shaky.

"You let the air out of all four of my tires when you were still inside the house."

"Th-The weather…"

"You even had an episode when you were four; your father told me all about it…"

Kallie started shaking, her body trembling within her bonds.

"Do you really not know?" Robert asked after a few moments of silence.

"Do I really not know what?" Kallie demanded.

"He told you nothing." Robert said sadly with a shake of his head. "And here I thought killing him had been the right thing."

All of the air was punched out of Kallie. Robert noticed the way her face fell and he smiled a slow, evil smile.

"You didn't know about that did you?"

Kallie couldn't say anything.

"That was the first part of the plan. Pretty much the hardest too. I had no idea that he would be so hard to get. I also had no idea that he would've set up this whole wild goose chase of his either. And the last and biggest surprise had him entrusting everything to some little girl. He never did crack though, no matter what I did to him."

"You…you…"

"That's right Kaliyah. I killed him. I killed Franklin Miller."

And something snapped. Kallie let out an animalistic scream as she thrashed against her bonds. She tried to wrench her arms and legs free so she could choke the life out of Robert.

"YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU!" She screamed.

"I had him for a whole week."

Kallie continued to scream obscenities at him until her throat was raw. No matter how hard she tried though she couldn't get free. Tears started pouring down her face as she realized she had no one left.

The boys were gone; killed by Robert and the Foot.

Her daddy was gone; killed…by Robert.

Kallie took a deep ragged breath, trying to quell the absolute sorrow overwhelming her. She looked up at Robert.

"I will not rest until you are dead." She said softly, dangerously. "I will get free, and I will kill you."

"Such words." Robert tskd.

"Not words," said Kallie. "Promises."

Robert narrowed his eyes at her. "What is it that you behold that makes this work?"

Kallie stared silently at him. She refused to answer any of his questions, first of all she didn't really remember anything that he had just told her. She knew his tires ran out of air once and that she was wishing for something bad to happen to him but her mother had explained that weather can do weird things to tires. And the door had slammed in Danika's face once, but the air conditioner had just turned on and she expected it was the rush of air from that. And while she had been able to spot a liar the moment he/she opened their mouth, she didn't exactly think of that as a power, just as good sense.

"Maybe some of your blood will help." Robert said suddenly.

Kallie flinched slightly as he pulled out a rather sharp looking knife. He walked right over to her and dug the blade right into her exposed arm. Kallie couldn't help but release a gasp from the pain. He grabbed another vial out of his pocket and let the blood spill into it.

"We'll see where this gets us."

And then he walked out, slamming the door in the process.

Kallie released a shuddering breath; she could feel a panic attack coming on and she tried to do the breathing exercises Mikey had taught her.

_Mikey_…

Kallie's heart was being ripped to pieces as she thought about the four people she had come to call family. They were like brothers to her. She never had any siblings. Robert and her mother decided not to have kids and her dad had always told Kallie that she was more than enough for him. Leo had been like a big brother to her, while Raph, Donnie, and Mikey had been like little brothers. And Master Splinter—…

Oh no…Master Splinter…he didn't know…

He had no idea that he had just lost all four of his sons…and it was _because of her_. They died trying to protect her, because she had dragged them into this fight. She literally had led them to their death, unknowingly of course, but did that really matter? They're still gone because of her.

And her dad.

_Oh daddy…_She thought miserably. Her dad wasn't killed while overseas…Robert killed him; _murdered_ him. Tears poured down her face once more, and soon she sobbing completely unable to stop it. Her body shook with distress, the overwhelming tragedy of it all hitting her at that moment.

Kaliyah wasn't sure how long she sat there and cried, but she knew that she was done. She knew that tears were no longer an option; it was time to take action. She took a deep breath, steadying her shaking body. She needed a plan now. She had to get out of there and get a hold of Master Splinter, April, and Casey. They would know what to do; they would be able to help. Hopefully they could take care of the Foot while she took care of Robert.

And she would be the one to take care of Robert.

Kallie surveyed the room she was in. It was obvious she was in some kind of basement. There was tons of random crap all around the room; boxes, a ladder, some kind of tool box, and a plethora of other things. She looked down and saw that indeed the chair she was in was cemented to the floor. She tugged at her bonds and felt no give. She was tied securely with rope though, that was a mistake on their part. She slowly started rubbing her tied wrists together, ensuring that the rope rubbed together as well.

Kallie knew it would be a painstakingly slow process, but she didn't care. She needed to get out of there as soon as possible. She looked down at her arm and saw that it was still bleeding; a small pool of blood now surrounded her feet. This normally would've grossed her out beyond all reason, but she didn't care now. The only thing that mattered to her was getting out and killing Robert; making him pay for what he had done to her dad and to her new family.

OoOoOoO

Robert threw his phone across the room, raking a hand through his hair angrily. His team of scientists were proving to be absolutely useless! It shouldn't be this hard to figure this thing out! They had the vial; they had the girl, what else was missing?!

He thought back to what Franklin had told him, when it was him sitting in that chair and not Kaliyah…

"_You'll never…figure it…out…" Franklin panted, sagging against his bonds as blood poured down his face. _

"_I'm only missing one or two things," said Robert. "One of those is the vial and you already know that I will find it. What else am I missing?"_

"_Like I'd…ever…tell you…" _

"_You _will_ tell me what I'm missing!" _

"_A brain…possibly…" _

_Robert punched the man in his stomach. _

"_What am I missing?!" Robert demanded, cracking his hand against the other man's face. _

_Franklin spit out blood and simply smiled. _

"_You piece of crap, you think you're better than everyone else?!" Robert demanded. "You think that you're so smart and that you alone can have this power?!" _

_Another blow landed on Franklin's jaw. _

"_M'not…the only…one…"_

"_WHO ELSE?!" _

"_Y-You'll…never…find her…"_

_Robert roared as he landed the fatal blow. _

He _had_ found her. She may be useless when it came to actually using her incredible gift, but she still had it. She was still the very genetic form of telekinetic power. Robert thought that perhaps Franklin had found a way to erase her earlier memories of using her powers, her mother's memories too. That was the only explanation. He knew that she had used her powers before. Franklin had written them down in his journal.

Oh jeez, his journal.

It had taken three years to decipher that thing. Franklin Miller was no idiot. He had used a mixture of military codes and Latin codes. And that's how Robert knew Kaliyah was 'special.' Franklin had recorded every incident of the young girl using her powers. The first entry was when the girl had been only two years old. After being told no when she had wanted a cookie they had found her in the living room with the cookie jar in between her legs as she happily munched on one.

_Two years old!_

That alone was unheard of! How in the world could a two year old expel that kind of power over a cookie? For 5 years Franklin had written about his daughter's wonderful ability. And after that they stopped. Franklin no longer wrote about what his daughter was doing, instead he wrote about how to stop it and how to hide it. He was a scientist and Franklin Miller did everything that he could to save his daughter from being exploited.

And that's why Robert had married Danika. He knew that Franklin was hiding something and that if he could get close enough to the Miller's that he would find out exactly what he needed. Robert was so close to victory he could almost taste it.

But he still couldn't replicate that strand of DNA inside of Kaliyah! Maybe he should've kept Donatello alive, the purple banded turtle truly was an intelligent being.

Robert sighed and sat down, running a hand over his face.

No use crying over spilled blood right? He picked up his pin and once more started to write, trying to find out where to go from here.


End file.
